Education & Development
The purpose of Union Education and Development activities is to educate members to become Union Activists in a way that is mutually beneficial to the individual member and to all Local 3550 members. The Locals’ Education Committee will review all applications submitted in order to determine the total number of members sponsored and establish the funding for each event.
When educational opportunities become available they will be posted here and we ask that each member wishing to attend please fill out the Education Funding form.
Information Regarding Education Funding Applications
Please submit the above form to express interest in attending a course, conference, or educational event.
- Local 3550 covers the full cost for members attending sponsored education, whether virtual or in-person.
- Please review Section 15 of the CUPE 3550 Bylaws for specific regulations regarding delegates.
- If the education requires time away from work, you must secure approval from your DU prior to submitting your funding application.
- Members are encouraged to participate in workshops hosted through CUPE National. You can view available online workshops at cupe.ca/mrm-union-education/
events.
For inquiries, or if you are interested in joining the Education Committee, please contact Amy at 3550education@gmail.com.
List of courses/workshops available.
Please continue to check on the website – most of the CUPE courses are held virtually and run between 1.5 to 3 hours in the day or evenings.
September 17 – 18, 2026
This is a 9-hour, in-person workshop offered over 2 days:
Day 1 (Sept 17): 9:00 AM – 16:00 PM
Day 2 (Sept 18): 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
What does a CUPE steward do? If you are a new steward and want to learn how to help CUPE members solve workplace problems, this introductory workshop is for you!
In this 9-hour workshop, you will learn:
- Investigating workplace problems;
- Filing a grievance;
- Meeting with management;
- Dealing with workplace complaints.
NOTE: Please bring a copy of your collective agreement and local union bylaws to the workshop.
Registration Deadline: September 10, 2026
September 29, 2026
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM (Mountain)
This workshop is only open to members located in ALBERTA who are in the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP). If you register from outside the province, your registration will be cancelled.
Join an LAPP education specialist to learn about your pension plan. This session will help you learn about your future pension, using the pension estimator tool, the lifetime monthly payments you’ll receive, and much more, all in order to help ensure a stress-free retirement journey.
This webinar will cover the following topics:
- Calculating Your LAPP Pension
- Pensionable Salary and Service
- When You Can Start Receiving LAPP Pension
- Early Retirement vs Unreduced Pension
- Pension Options
- Single Lifetime vs Joint Lifetime
- Pension Partner vs Beneficiary
- Online Access
- Your Pension Profile
- Pension Projection Calculator
- Application Process
Visit lapp.ca and login to Your Pension Profile to produce retirement estimates using the Pension Projection Calculator.
Registration Deadline: September 24, 2026
September 22 – 24, 2026
This 3 day workshop is open to all members located in Alberta.
September 22 (9:00am) – 24, 2026 (5:00pm)
Labour Votes Training will bring together members from CUPE, The United Steelworkers (USW) and Unifor to educate and empower members around political action. The training will introduce members to the core concepts of member to member campaigns, electoral campaign structure, and provide current issue based education on topics relevant to the upcoming October referendum and future provincial elections.
Registration Deadline: August 15, 2026
September 24 – 25, 2026
This workshop is taking place over two days:
Day 1 (Sept 24): 9:00 AM – 16:00 PM
Day 2 (Sept 25): 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Learn about women’s oppression, politics and social change – all from a woman’s perspective. Explore the barriers, challenges and opportunities for women in the union. Discover your own personal leadership style and develop a plan for your personal next step.
NOTE: This workshop is open to members who identify as women.
Registration Deadline: September 17, 2026
October 16, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Mountain)
Conflict is a natural part of our lives. Learning to handle it well improves relationships at work and in other parts of our lives.
In this workshop, you will:
- Deepen your understanding of conflict
- Learn how to identify the issues and find the right solutions
- Strengthen your conflict communication skills
October 24 – 25, 2026
This workshop is taking place over two days:
Day 1 (Oct 24): 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Day 2 (Oct 25): 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Keep checking our website as we will be adding more workshops soon.
Email 3550education@gmail.com for more information or if you have any questions.
CUPE ALBERTA SCHOLARSHIPS
CUPE Alberta offers a number of scholarship opportunities to CUPE members as well as the dependents of CUPE members.
You can find the list of scholarship opportunities offered by CUPE AB here!
You can find the CUPE AB Scholarship Application Form Here!
Please note that CUPE AB Scholarship applications require a letter of endorsement/support from your Local Union. Please contact the union office at 780 455 1435 or cupe3550@telus.net if you would like to request a letter of endorsement.
GET IN TOUCH WITH US
Address and Contact Information
CUPE Local 3550
14207 115 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5M 3B6
Phone
(780) 455 1435
Fax
(780) 452 1462
Email
contact@cupe3550.ca