The Ontario Provincial Council of Machinists (OPCM) held a workplace harassment investigation seminar facilitated by Goldblatt partners on Thursday April 16th, 2026.
40 IAM members representing several different locals and sectors across Ontario participated in this interactive session.
This is the first education session hosted by the OPCM in over a decade, “The knowledge gained at the session will benefit our members in their respective workplaces going forward.” said I.R Kim Valliere
Special thanks to Goldblatt Partners and participating IAM locals for sending their delegates.
Local 1231 participating delegates, Toronto Steward Reazul Haque and Chief Steward of York Nneka Nwachukwu, submitted the report below to share with our members.
Chief Steward of York Nneka Nwachukwu : I attended a training session on workplace investigations focused on harassment, discrimination, and the role of the union. The session highlighted that harassment is determined by the impact of behav ior rather than intent, and that even a single serious incident may qualify. It emphasized the importance of fairness, due process, confidentiality, and timely, unbiased investigations, as well as proper documentation. The role of the union and stewards in supporting members while maintaining professionalism and respecting the integrity of the process was also reinforced. Overall, the training strengthened my understanding of ensuring accountability and protecting members’ rights in a respectful and compliant workplace.
Steward of Toronto Reazul Haque : The training on Navigating Harassment and Discrimination Investigations was excellent. There were 4 different types of panel discussions like employer obligations on harassment and discrimination; unions role in workplace investigations; applying our learning by the red flags game; and union liability and navigating difficult situations. The whole discussion was very relevant to our present position as Stewards. We have to handle those issues in our day to day union activities. Our skills were refreshed by this training, and will strengthen our capacity in the days ahead.