1. Fostering the Future of the Union
A Guide to Establishing a Mentoring Program in Your Local Union
August 2018

2. Why do we need a Mentoring Program?
A commitment to support an ongoing process of renewal is vital for building a strong, vibrant, and dynamic union
One of our core principles found in the Unifor Constitution
Our union’s commitment to renewal was reinforced during Local Union Task Force meetings
A commitment to support an ongoing process of renewal is vital for building a strong, vibrant, and dynamic union
The Statement of Principles found in Unifor’s Constitution recognizes that in order to build the union, we must commit to supporting an ongoing process of renewal. This idea was reinforced during the Local Union Task Force meetings. In fact, the Task Force put forward the recommendation to establish a formalized mentoring program to support this process.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

3. Why do we need a Mentoring Program?
Nurture and encourage the next generation of activists and open opportunities for members from equity seeking groups
Connect members who want to become activists with experienced leadership or even retirees who want to share in the transition of knowledge, skills and insight
To review the full list of recommendations from the Local Union Task Force please visit unifor.org/lutf.
A mentorship program can help nurture and encourage the next generation of activists, and open opportunities for members from equity seeking groups.
It can connect members who want to become activists with experienced leadership or even retirees who want to share in the transition of knowledge, skills and insight.
A mentorship program can help keep us open to new ideas and ways of doing things that are essential to this process of renewal.
There is a well-recognized need for more effective ways of connecting Unifor members, across generations to enhance sharing of knowledge, skills, insight, and experience from one generation of activists to the next.
This sentiment was echoed across the country during the Local Union Task Force meetings.
A mentorship program can help achieve these goals.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

4. What does the Mentoring Program offer?
Enhance knowledge of the union and its history, increase commitment to the union, assist in personal growth, and provide support in avoiding political pitfalls
Sense of personal satisfaction for mentors
Transfer of knowledge and history from one generation to the next
Identify barriers for members of equity seeking groups
Support our broader equity agenda detailed in the Equity Audit report
A mentoring program can enhance knowledge of the union and its history, increase commitment to the union, assist in personal growth, and provide support in avoiding political pitfalls
Mentors also benefit. Mentors gain a sense of personal satisfaction from empowering future leaders, reflecting on their personal obstacles and successes, and giving back to their union.
Overall, our union can benefit from the transfer of knowledge and history from one generation to the next.
A mentorship program can help identify barriers for members of equity seeking groups, and open opportunities that support our broader equity agenda detailed in the Equity Audit report.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

5. Benefits of Mentorship
Enhances collaboration and learning across the union
Increases job satisfaction and deepens commitment of participants
Builds organizational capacity
Helps renew leadership and activist base
Setting up a formal mentorship program broadens opportunities to a greater number of young activists who would benefit from the guidance of an experienced sister or brother.
A mentorship program has many other benefits including:
Increasing collaboration across our union
Helping overcome barriers to advancement of those members wishing to move into union positions that require new skills
Increasing job satisfaction and deepening commitment for both mentors and mentees.
Enhancing our capacity to represent our members in our workplaces, and political activities and strengthening our solidarity building efforts in the community by broadening our skills and knowledge base
Helping renew our leadership and activist base by helping the next generation acquire the skills, experience and confidence needed to step into these positions
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

6. Where does the Local fit in?
Local unions are central to the process of renewal
Regardless of the local union size, geography or structure, mentoring new activists and leadership will always need to be a priority
Local Unions have a very important role in this process. Local unions are central to the process of renewal and have an important role to play in building the next generation of Unifor activists and leaders.
Regardless of the local union size, geography or structure, one thing is clear; mentoring new activists and leadership will always need to be a priority.
Local Union Mentorship Program
unifor.org

7. Informal Mentoring
Mentoring happens informally across the union every single day
While informal mentoring can be helpful, it also tends to reinforce existing political dynamics in a local union
For a mentorship program to be effective, inclusive and accessible to all, it must be formalized
People often begin a mentoring relationship with little or no assistance from their organization. Many do not even think of it as mentoring; they simply consider it part of their job.
While informal mentoring can be helpful, it also limits fair and equal access across the membership. Mentors more commonly reach out to others of the same gender or racial/ethnic background. Most importantly, these informal approaches often reinforce gender and race dynamics in our union. Relying on informal mentoring often leaves women and workers of colour without access. For a mentorship program to be effective, inclusive and accessible to all, it must be formalized.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

8. Formal Mentoring
Formal mentoring takes place when the union takes an active role in setting up the mentoring relationship and provides ongoing support as needed
The very existence of a formal program makes mentorship available to all union members who seek it, and assists in enhancing diversity within the union leadership
Formal mentoring takes place when the union takes an active role in setting up the mentoring relationship and provides ongoing support as needed.
The very existence of a formal program makes mentorship available to all union members who seek it, and assists in enhancing diversity within the union leadership.
Formal mentoring puts in place a process for how the mentor and mentee are matched, it outlines how long the relationship will last and how often mentor and mentee will meet, and equips participants with standardized tools to measure their success and address challenges.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

9. Steps to Setting up a Formal Mentoring Program
Select a program coordinator
Recruit participants
Identify the needs of the mentee
Identify potential mentors and create a mentor database
Match mentors with mentees
Provide an opportunity for an introduction
An important first step in setting up a mentorship program include selecting a program coordinator who will lead the promotion and administration of the mentorship program at your local. The primary steps include consulting with leadership to identify the needs of the Local, promotion of the program, recruitment of participants, identifying mentor goals and the knowledge and skills they wish to acquire, recruitment of potential mentors, matching the appropriate mentors with mentees, and getting the mentorship started.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

10. Responsibilities As a mentor, you should: As a mentee, you should:
Share your own history and experiences
Engage in problem-solving and self- reflection to enhance mentee’s learning
Remain open to the process of mentorship
Keep the mentorship focused
Reflect on the work and outcomes to
enhance your learning
Encourage mentees to move beyond their comfort zone
Articulate the challenges you want to address
Be open to your own learning and development
A good mentorship relationship is a partnership that is built on the principles of mutual respect and collaboration. Both parties should codetermine the nature of their relationship and jointly agree to a level of shared commitment and effort.
This includes determining the frequency of meetings, the nature of communication ( , phone, drop-in, etc.), and a work plan for the duration of the mentorship.
The mentor’s responsibilities include:
Working with the mentee to problem solve any challenges that might arise during the mentorship period and working with them to enhance learning
A mentor should also encourage and support mentees to move beyond their comfort zones to enhance learning opportunities - this might involve taking on new tasks, experiences, or other new responsibilities for the mentee to maximize the learning of new skills
A primary responsibility of the mentor is to keep the mentorship focused on achieving the goals jointly established with the mentee
Learning in mentorships happens in both directions so it’s important for the mentor to be willing to share their own history and experiences with the mentee but at the same time provide space and be open to learning from the activist history and experiences of the mentee. Learning happens in both directions in a good mentoring relationship.
Perhaps the most important shared responsibility of the mentor and mentee is to respect each other’s confidentiality throughout and after the mentorship period.
In addition to the shared responsibilities just discussed for the mentor, the mentees responsibilities include:
A general openness to the learning process including a strong commitment to learning new skills and experiences that are sometimes out of their comfort zone
A willingness to articulate the learning goals and skills they wish to acquire, and an openness to adapt these as the mentorship unfolds.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

11. The Mentoring Program Coordinator should :
Solicit feedback
Make adjustments to the program
Combine mentoring with broader leadership development
Use the mentoring program to help identify barriers
Evaluate the effectiveness of the mentorship arrangement
The mentoring program coordinator has many important responsibilities in administering the Local Union mentorship program. They include to:
Solicit feedback from participants at various stages of the mentorship and use this information to make adjustments to the program as needed.
Work in consultation with Local leadership to combine mentoring with the broader leadership development and training goals and needs of the Local
Use the mentoring program to help identify barriers for equity seeking groups and consider ways to address these by opening opportunities through mentorship
Evaluate the effectiveness of the mentorship arrangement overall, and on a case by case basis to ensure the needs of mentees, mentors, and the Local union are met
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

12. Why be a Local Union Mentor?
Sense of satisfaction from helping nurture the next generation of activists
Ensures skills, knowledge and experiences are not lost with transition to new responsibilities or retirement
Opportunity to learn from younger activists!
On a personal level, there’s a lot to be gained through mentoring.
Mentors gain a sense of personal satisfaction from helping future leaders
Mentoring provides an opportunity to reflect on personal obstacles and successes, and giving back to the union.
Mentors gain a sense of satisfaction from helping nurture the next generation of activists and leaders as it provides an opportunity to reflect on their own success, and how to ensure their experiences and insights are passed on to assist the next generation
Mentorship relationships work both ways…Mentors can learn a great deal from younger activists as well!
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

13. Why apply to be a Local Union Mentee?
Unique opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills and insights into the traditions, customs, and political culture of the local
Effective enabler for those wishing to take on leadership roles
There are many advantages for mentees as well.
For mentees, learning from a more experienced colleague provides a unique opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills, and insight into the political culture and traditions of our union from the perspective of someone who has experience in a position (or several) over many years.
A mentoring program can assist the mentee by enhancing knowledge of the union and its history, increasing commitment to the union, assisting in personal growth, and it also provides an opportunity to learn the political culture and traditions of their Local.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

14. Want more information and resources to get started? We can help!
You can access the following resources from the Unifor National website at
Local Mentorship Program Guide
Promotional Poster
Template documents
Several resources have been developed by the National Union to assist Locals wishing to establish a mentorship program. They can be downloaded from the mentorship page on Unifor’s national website at unifor.org/mentorship. These include:
A Local Union Mentorship Guide detailing how to get a program started at your Local
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

15. Resources Available Promotional Posters
A poster that can be used to promote a Local Union Mentoring Program, including a space for contact details for the Local Mentoring Program Coordinator. These are suitable for posting at your hall or bulletin boards in your workplaces. A version for mentors as well as mentees is available.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

16. Resources Available Application Planning Worksheet Feedback Form
Template style documents include:
An Application Form that can be used to recruit and evaluate prospective mentees.
A Mentoring Relationship Planning Worksheet that can be completed together at the first meeting to help document decisions made jointly about the work ahead. This important tool can help keep mentors and mentees on track throughout the mentorship period.
A Feedback Form that should be completed during a mentor and mentee’s final formal meeting together. The completion of this form provides an opportunity for the mentor and mentee to discuss what worked well during the mentoring period, and what might be changed in the future to make the program better.
Other resources include a meeting template to help mentors and mentees structure meetings, document activity between meetings, guide discussion about progress toward meeting specific tasks and broader goals, and establish a work plan for moving forward.
Local Union Mentoring Program
unifor.org

17. For more information and resources, please contact:
Unifor Education Department
For more information about the Local Union Mentorship Program or help getting started, please contact the Unifor Education Department at