Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Steward Profile

Janette Dyck, enVision Community Living

Why do you work at enVision?

I love working with the people at Kindale and getting to know them. I get to build relationships, help and work alongside people in their day-to-day lives at their workplace and am constantly learning new skills and how to communicate with different people. I’m also able use the gifts that I do have to provide the best support that I can to the people I work with.

What made you interested in the steward role?

Initially, I was not interested, or unsure if I wanted the role. It took a few months of talking to the previous steward and asking many questions before deciding that it was something that I could do. I knew that I had a good relationship with management and with most of my fellow coworkers and that I could use it to be a bridge between them. I have also been working at Kindale long enough to know what employees want.

What’s been satisfying about being a steward?

When I have seen some changes in the way that management has done, or handled things, because of some things that I have told them would be encouraging for workers to see. I have also enjoyed being challenged and learning new things, like what role the union actually plays in a workplace.

What’s been frustrating?

The same concerns that keep coming up time and time again and nothing being changed, when all that is needed is more communication. Another thing that I have found frustrating is that I can’t just fix the things that employees are concerned about, or can’t make things happen when and how we would like them to happen and can’t make people do the things that I want them to do to see change.

If you could change one thing, what would it be?

I would say I would change two things, but they go hand in hand: communication and respect. I believe that if there is adequate communication among everyone in the workplace, there will also be more respect for each other.

But also with more communication, respect is also built. Communication requires taking time to listen, understand, and being clear on what is being communicated. The more respect people have for each other, the better the communication will be.

What do workers need most during this pandemic?

One of the biggest concerns I have heard during this pandemic is that workers feel like there is information that is being kept from them. I believe that what is needed most during this time is transparency, empathy, and compassion.

This is a hard time for everyone, and everyone is trying to figure things out. Not getting enough information, lack of transparency, and not feeling like people care creates stress, uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. It also creates a sense of not being able to trust others and creates a divide in the workplace.

If management is open to share as much information as allowed within company guidelines, and vulnerable enough to share that they are struggling with the pandemic as well, and sometimes just don’t know the answers to our questions because they have the same questions, it shows workers that they understand what workers are going through. It shows at least that they care and want to walk through this together.

In the end, it comes down to communication and closing the gap between management and workers, with mutual respect.

Steward Profile

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