Summer Institute for Union Women returns

Program offers opportunities for union women from the western U.S. and Canada to build skills and community together

BURNABY, B.C. (May 30, 2025) — For five days in June, rank-and-file union members and labor leaders will gather together in British Columbia for an intensive week of learning and fellowship. The Summer Institute for Union Women (SIUW) is a comprehensive leadership institute with skills-building workshops, cultural activities and education sessions designed to expand understanding of solidarity and rebuild connections across borders.

This year hosted by theBritish Columbia Federation of Labour, the leadership institute will be held from June 22–26, 2025 at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC, on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tlseil-waututh Nations. Courses will cover Organizing, Collective Bargaining, Women in Leadership, Mental Health First Aid, Globalization and Immigration, Digital Organizing and Strategy, and more.

In addition to these core courses, participants will be able to choose from a long list of workshops, like Triage and Connection in times of retrenchment, Running for leadership, Resisting the oligarchy, Artful Resistance – using creative and musical techniques to build solidarity, Looking for gender equity language in contracts and bylaws, and more. A full list of offerings can be found on the SIUW website.

This training is for all cis and trans women, non-binary, queer, questioning, and those who are comfortable in a space that centers these experiences. Registration costs $940 USD per person and is fully inclusive of room and meals for the five-day program (note the registration page lists costs in CAD). The SIUW planning committee encourages applicants to contact their union for support covering registration costs. The Labor Education Research Center and the Washington State Labor Council are working to offer scholarships for those whose organizations aren’t able to resource attendance.

Check out more info on SIUW and register today. Scholarship information is available here.