Jeff Kirkpatrick for WTA Vice-President
My name is Jeff Kirkpatrick and I want to be your next Winnipeg Teachers’ Association vice president.
Who I am.
I have served as a member of your Winnipeg Teachers’ Association Executive for the last 2 years and as a council representative prior to that. I have been part of a number of committees in different capacities. It’s been an honor to chair the Political Action Committee, the Group Benefits Committee, and this year the Annual General Meeting Committee. Prior to being part of the Executive, but also including this time, I have worked as a member representative on the group benefits, finance, monitoring, and the Distinguished Service Award committees along with sitting on the bargaining committee this coming bargaining session. Outside of WTA, I also sit on the Ad Hoc committee reviewing and updating our Professional Code of Conduct with MTS.
I became an active advocate for WTA members on social media prior to our last local bargaining coming to a stressful end along with Bill 45 and the public schools amendment act. I felt a strong pull towards understanding our Union and a passion erupted to help members. I jumped at every chance I could to learn as much as I could about our union. This started by completing the second cohort of Labour School and joining the Finance and Group Benefits committees. The Labour School program gives members a chance to develop leadership and facilitation skills. As a participant I examined initiatives that MTS was starting and looked at the working conditions in the labour force. This work gave me many insights into how MTS helps members and the role the executive and members have to create a workplace where we can be ourselves and succeed. Adding to this learning journey, I have attended the last 2 summer seminars where I gained extensive governance training and invaluable experiences networking with other members around the province. These experiences have given me a sense of what good governance is and how to be fiscally responsible to our members. Lasty, being on the Executive has given me the opportunity to attend 2 labour law conferences giving me exposure and experience in understanding the working of arbitration and grievances taking places around Canada.
I have been teaching for 13 years in elementary and middle school settings, teaching all the grades 1 - 8 in a variety of schools ranging from Inner-City to the North End. Prior to heading back to university as a mature student I worked in the Winnipeg School Division as an educational assistant. I worked mainly in low enrolment life skills classrooms, this job made me realize how much I wanted to be a teacher. This experience has given me insights into the needs and issues teachers face in regards to leading adults in the classroom. I understand the demands of working in schools with specific needs that only come from doing the work. What it’s like trying to find some sort of work-life balance with a young family with the demands of administrators. I understand how violence in our schools are affecting everyone. Not to mention, how members are interpreting our new collective bargaining agreement from an early years point of view. I also have had many discussions with friends and colleagues about issues surrounding working in High Schools. I will work just as hard for all teachers.
I’m a father of 2 wonderful children that are becoming adults and have enjoyed an amazing summer career of Camp Directing at Camp Wasaga, Manitoba’s only full time family camp. I was the director there for many years while my children grew up and only made the decision to retire from this when my eldest became an employee. Camp Wasaga is an amazing place I’ll link the website on the socials page. This experience in leadership was some of the most fulfilling times of my life. Here is where I learned how to have hard conversations making decisions that were best for the growth of individuals and Camp Wasaga as a whole. I worked under a board of directors and was accountable to the operations of this Heritage Classic. I will bring these experiences and this knowledge to a new role helping members feel safe and secure in their work.
We are in a time of flux and change throughout the division and the world as a whole. We need a caring and capable person to help us move in the right direction, I feel that I am that person.
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