Professional Development Testimonials

Written by Patrick Hauser

The 2023 Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Occupational Health and Safety Conference was held in Saskatoon, on September 13th to 15th. Twenty-three ASPA members attended the conference this year to take in sessions focusing on prevention of violence, psychologically safe workplaces, OHS committees, OHS legislation, among others. ASPA sent a short survey to these 23 members to gather their anonymous feedback on the conference to determine the value of attending, evaluate the learning opportunities provided to our members, and whether they would attend again in the future.

In all, 13 members completed the short and anonymous evaluation survey, and ten did not, for a 57% response rate. From those who did complete the survey, most of the feedback was positive, but not all of it. The following are the highlights from the survey feedback:
Most attended the session ‘Building Psychologically Safe Workplaces’ session, with ‘Prevention of Workplace Violence’ and ‘OHS Act & Regulations’ being second and third respectively.

From the positive comments respondents reported receiving some good resources from the facilitators to use and reference. Others noted the importance of knowing ones’ rights as well as reporting safety or security concerns in a timely manner. Most respondents were happy with their facilitator, were glad the examples related to actual workplace environments, and thought there was benefit to them in attending their session at the conference. Most respondents appreciated the opportunity were thankful that ASPA covered the registration costs.

From the negative comments, some respondents did not think their session was interactive enough, or did not allow for enough time to complete interactive elements or work through scenarios and associated questions. There were also comments about a lack of operational technology, with at least one facilitator just reading from notes and no presentation to make it more engaging, and possibly adlibbing some erroneous details. There were also a few comments about union and CUPE business notices taking considerable time, which was not information attendees wanted or expected to hear at an OHS conference.

A neutral comment was that much of the information presented was aimed toward supervisors or managers, and not really useful to frontline workers. Nine respondents said ‘yes’ they would attend this conference again, while only one said ‘no’ they would not, and three said ‘maybe.’ Also, 11 out of 13 said they would recommend others to attend this conference in the future. There were no comments at all about the facility, food or refreshments.
In summary, it was obvious from the feedback that one’s experience depended heavily on which session they attended. There were some good sessions, and some that were not so highly rated. But, generally respondents appreciated the opportunity to attend and got something out of it.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to ASPA at aspa@aspasask.ca or call us at 306.966.2471

Madiha Rizki

1. What drew you to that opportunity? 

As a recent hire at USask (joined in December 2024) and a relative newcomer to Canada, I am deeply committed to learning more about Canadian labour laws and their broader social context. I was especially drawn to this opportunity to build the skills necessary to advocate for meaningful change in addressing unjust labour conditions. 

The Reconciliation to Action course stood out to me because of its focus on Indigenous history, equity, and labour activism, areas I believe are fundamental to fostering fairness and inclusion in the workplace.  

2. What are three takeaways or highlights from the training?  

• The training offered a powerful and honest account of the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island (North America), highlighting the lasting impacts of colonization and the need to acknowledge these truths as a foundation for true reconciliation. 
• It deepened my understanding of the role unions can play in supporting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action by promoting equity, inclusion, and justice in the workplace and beyond. 
• The course was facilitated by two Indigenous labour activists who led deeply immersive and transformative sessions. We sat in a circle each day to promote connection, respect, and shared purpose. A spirit chair was placed daily to honour those who have passed on, reminding us of our interconnectedness across generations. At the end of each day, a stone from the land was passed around the circle, and each participant shared a personal reflection on what they had learned and how they would carry it forward. These meaningful practices encouraged us to listen deeply, challenge our own assumptions, and begin the ongoing journey of becoming true allies, not just in words, but through conscious, informed action. 

3. How could that training tie into your position? How could it tie into being an ASPA Member? 

As a Communications Officer, my core responsibility is to support and enhance student experience. This training has provided me with a foundational understanding of equity, inclusion, and justice, principles that are essential to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for all students. 

I’ve recently joined the ASPA Communications and Public Relations Sub-Committee, and I believe the knowledge and perspective gained through this course will help me play an active role in shaping more inclusive messaging and supporting ASPA’s broader commitment to reconciliation and social responsibility. By applying these learnings, I hope to contribute meaningfully as an engaged and informed ASPA member who supports equity-centered practices across USask. 

4. Would you recommend this training to other folks? 

Absolutely. Beyond the incredible learnings the Reconciliation to Action course offered, attending Union School was an invaluable opportunity to connect with other union members from across Saskatchewan, discuss common challenges, and share key takeaways and best practices. I would strongly encourage other ASPA members to attend Union School, not only to deepen their understanding of important issues like reconciliation and workers’ rights, but also to strengthen the role we each play in building a more informed, engaged, and supportive union community. 

5. Anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t asked? 

I really like to thank ASPA Executive Committee for offering such opportunities to their members. 

Alexis Dahl

1. What drew you to that opportunity? 

I participated on the bargaining team for our last round/current agreement and anticipate doing so again. Bargaining is a complicated process, and I feel that you can never learn too much! 

2. What are three takeaways or highlights from the training?  

Know your collective agreement, know what is most important to your members, and keep impeccable notes. (The first two are likely self-explanatory, the last one is to protect against misinterpretation of the agreed upon articles after the agreement is in place.) 

3. How could that training tie into your position? How could it tie into being an ASPA Member? 

The training is entirely related to my volunteer work as an ASPA member. I originally signed up to help with bargaining to give back to my union, recognizing all of the benefits I have received from other volunteers like me. 

4. Would you recommend this training to other folks? 

I would recommend this training to anyone who wants to serve on a bargaining committee. The facilitators for this training session were very knowledgeable about the topic and really great to work with. 

Natalia Rudnitskaya

1. What educational opportunity did you attend?

the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) Occupational Health & Safety Conference in Saskatoon, which included a focused course on the Occupational Health & Safety Act and Regulations.  It was held in Saskatoon at the Delta Bessborourgh hotel September 15th – September 17th.

2. What drew you to that opportunity?

As a Manager of Analytical Services and OHC co-chair responsible for ensuring a safe and compliant working environment, I was eager to deepen my understanding of current OH&S legislation and best practices. The topic directly supports my duties, responsibilities, and my role a Safety leader for the College.

3. What are the takeaways or highlights from that training?

A stronger understanding of employer and worker responsibilities under the OH&S Act, a greater clarity on how to build and support an effective Occupational Health Committee (OHC), and the importance of effective OHC meeting notes.

4. How does that training tie into your position?

The training directly supports my work in creating safe, professional, and welcoming laboratory environment for the students, technicians, and Faculty members from across the University.

5. How does it tie into being an ASPA member?

As an ASPA member, it equips me to be a stronger advocate for safe, fair, and respectful work environments on campus.

6. Would you recommend this training to other ASPA members?

 Absolutely. This training is especially valuable for ASPA members with the technical aspects of their positions, involved in operations of the research spaces, health, safety, and supervision.  It’s informative and immediately applicable.

7. anything else you would like to add that we haven’t asked?

I would like to thank ASPA for providing this opportunity and covering all associated expenses. A highlight of the conference was also the opportunity to meet new people from different workplaces as well as ASPA members from USask Prince Albert Campus, and from GIFS and other units, share experiences, and build connections for future collaboration. The Conference offered valuable insights and emphasized that safety is a shared responsibility across all workplaces.

Temitope Ojo

1. What educational opportunity did you attend?

 SFL Annual Occupational Health and Safety. September 15-17 @ the Delta Downtown in Saskatoon Conference.

2. What drew you to that opportunity?

My interest and passion in fostering positive and supportive work environments. I also wanted to have an idea of the kind of workplace hazards that people in other fields such as mining, nursing, transportation was experiencing and how they have been able to successfully deal with it. I wanted to gain insights from leaders and consultants who are in that field to know what the best practices are as it concerns safety in the workplace.

3. What are the takeaways or highlights from that training?

My training was on the History of Occupational Health and Safety Rights. A couple of things stood out for me. First, safety is everybody’s business, and it is important to get active with your department’s safety committee. I got a better understanding of the three workers’ rights, and how to put the rights into practice. The History of what brought about the safety legislation was eye-opening. Finally, there are regulations that guides us in ensuring that we daily are applying best practices to safety issues, I got familiar with the regulations which was quite interesting.

4. How does that training tie into your position?

As the Programs and projects Officer for the College of Engineering, This training has equipped me with information and learnings that will guide me to ensure that I am contributing to a safe workplace especially as an advocate. If I see anything that might be a cause for safety concern, I will apply what I learnt to deal with such issues in the best ways.

5. How does it tie into being an ASPA member?

As an ASPA member, we should positively represent the union at our respective units. This training has helped to reinforce the importance of staying current on safety issues and provided data-based information on new safety trends, ideas and strategies to improve safety programs.

6. Would you recommend this training to other ASPA members?

Everyone should plan to attend at least a safety conference. It is educative and entertaining.

7. anything else you would like to add that we haven’t asked?

I just want to say Thank you to ASPA for the opportunity to attend the SFL Annual Occupational Health and Safety.

Kaleb Shultz

1. What educational opportunity did you attend?

I attended the Creating a Psychologically Safe Workplace course at the Delta Hotel Saskatoon, from September 15th-17th.

2. What drew you to that opportunity?

As I work with various groups of people at the university and being in a hybrid environment, I think it’s important to be able to facilitate in a safe manner and to make sure that everyone feels comfortable no matter the interaction. Creating a space where people can share openly and freely, whether online or in person, is something I strive to do every day.

3. What are the takeaways or highlights from that training?

Learning about the battery analogy, where we all have two batteries (a personal battery and work battery) and how if we are not getting a full charge every day, it will drain and start stealing charge from the other category. It’s important to avoid the signs of burnout and to create space where we can recharge in and outside of work.

Learning about the 13 Factors of a psychologically Safe workplace and having conversations with other attendees about each category (all conversations at every table through the 3 days were great).

Learning the difference between psychosocial vs psychological and how each tie into physical health (There were many times the presenters related psychological health to physical health which really helped in rounding out the health ramifications you could encounter in a psychologically safe vs unsafe workplace).

4. How does that training tie into your position?

It helps with my facilitation ability in meetings and to look out for places where people are feeling uncomfortable, worn-out, or as mentioned previously, on “low” battery. Being able to see the signs and hopefully help create a safer workplace for everyone is a great long-term goal. It would help prevent burnout and turnover which I think can be a major negative factor in many workplaces.

5. How does it tie into being an ASPA member?

As, arguably, a brand new ASPA member (>1 yr), this will help create a great foundation for me for future learning opportunities and a great toolset as I continue in the union

6. Would you recommend this training to other ASPA members?

Yes, the presenters and other attendees made for a great and informational 3 days.

7. anything else you would like to add that we haven’t asked?

I was able to bring the information back and do a presentation where members from other teams were present about the workshop (About 25 people).

Storm Ironchild

I attended the Prevention of Violence in the Workplace at the SFL OH&S Conference. The facilitators broke down the 3 types of workplace harassment (Prohibited Grounds, Personal Harassment and Sexual Harassment) which helped me understand the differences between the types of harassment. It also helped with understanding how to help yourself or another worker if they are dealing with harassment, and that it is not to be tolerated in the workplace. It is also helpful when it comes to my position as we have staff that deal with the public and are more susceptible to workplace violence. The information presented on safety practices was great to bring back to our leadership team for improvements that can be made to keep staff safe.

The facilitators had us map out our workplaces and indicate where violence has or is most likely to happen. The exercise was then to come up with preventative measures for those spaces to prevent violence. This again was great information to bring to the leadership team as it is a great visual and gets everyone thinking more about safety in the workplace.

This ties into my job as I work closely with leadership and their safety initiatives. It was helpful to bring back some relevant information to the group. As an ASPA member, I think it was informative to learn about violence in the workplace, how prevalent it is and what your rights are. It was also good to further understand employer expectations when dealing with workplace violence.

In the spirit of transparency and accountability, the ASPA Executive is excited to launch a new section on the website that will feature testimonials from our members who attend professional development (PD) opportunities. Whenever a member attends an ASPA-sponsored PD, they will be asked to complete a survey and share a bit of their learnings, which ASPA will post on the website and in our quarterly newsletters!

Several members of the ASPA Executive attended a Conflict Resolution Seminar in Saskatoon on October 2 and 3, 2025. Below are testimonials from a few of those members.

What drew you to this opportunity?

“In health care, we are occasionally faced with patient care scenarios that have the potential to escalate if they are not managed appropriately, and I think that it also would be generally applicable to workplace and personal situations.”
                – Michael Hewitt (he/him/his), Clinical Pharmacist at the Medication Assessment Centre/USask Chronic Pain Clinic). Hewitt has been an ASPA member since Sept. 2022.

“I was hoping to understand better how to deal with conflict in a positive manner.”
                – Karen Mosier, an ASPA member since Dec. 2010.

What are three takeaways or highlights from the training?

1. What you say is not what they hear.
2. A significant amount of meaning  taken from tone and body language rather than just the words.
3. The process of going through an official complaint is awful for everyone (complainant, respondent, and all others who share their work environment).

– Alexis Dahl (she/her), Director of Programs in Arts and Science, and an ASPA member for more than 20 years.

1. Retributive justice focuses on punishment and blame, while restorative justice aims to repair harm and restore relationships through dialogue and accountability.
2. How transformative justice goes beyond retributive and restorative justice by seeking to fundamentally change the systems and structures that lead to harm, not just address the individual incident.
3. The intent–action–effect diagram shows that intentions drive actions, which produce affects others observe. Often, we assume the reasons behind actions based only on outcomes, without understanding the true intent.

– Simona Meier (she/her), Clinical Research Educator, and an ASPA member since 2019

1. In any conflict scenario, each party’s individual experience causes them to view the situation through their own unique lens.
2. A restorative justice framework rather than a retributive justice framework can help produce more satisfying resolutions in the long term.
3. The “Action-Intent-Effect” model is a helpful lens through which to view negotiation and conflict resolution to ensure that all parties are communicating respectfully and productively with each other.

– Michael Hewitt

1. It is hard for leaders once they have gone through a complaint process to recover from all the nasty things that were said using a retributive approach.
2. The scenarios were useful. I did not realize how badly it affected others when two people in the office were in conflict.
3. I liked the concept of Transformative Justice as it gives the family a chance to speak about the impact of crime and considers the background of the offender and what brought them to this point in their life.

– Karen Mosier

How does the training tie into your position? How does it tie into being an ASPA Member?

“Health care provision requires meeting with a broad variety of people, potentially in incredibly stressful scenarios that may produce conflict at any time. Being able to assess and respond in those moments is key to delivering care in an effective and patient-centered way, so I always appreciate opportunities to develop my communication and interpersonal skills. In negotiating disputes with the employer, this training is immensely helpful in that it offers a structure to maintain respectful and productive communication with a shared purpose.”

-Michael Hewitt

“For my position and as an ASPA member, this training served as a reminder to be careful and kind in all communication (both sending and receiving). My mood when reading an email does not change their intent, but it could certainly affect my perception.”

-Alexis Dahl

Would you recommend this training to other ASPA members?

Yes, but some Executive felt this training was more applicable to people who are either in upper management or who have a formal role (in their work or in the union) helping to resolve conflict, as it didn’t feel like a beginner-level discussion/workshop.

Others felt that these conflict resolution skills could apply to work and beyond, so applicable to anyone.

If you have any questions about this professional development opportunity or any others, please email ASPA at aspa@aspasask.ca