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Welcome to WELLS!

Welcome to the homepage of the Worker Education & Labour Learning Society (WELLS). We invite you to get involved and grow with us! Explore our website to learn more.

"WELLS is labour educators coming together with one basic mission: to promote the expansion of affordable, inclusive, accessible, high quality, and solidarity-based education for working people."

- Stephen Von Sychowski, WELLS Chairperson

Disclaimer: The contents and links included on this WELLS website do not necessarily reflect the positions and opinions of WELLS. Further, please note that the information contained is not legal advice in any form. 

Resources

One of WELLS main priorities is to help promote worker and labour-related resources. The aim of our resources section is to include the most relevant and helpful resources.

Labour Resources (By Topic)

Virtual & Online Resources

Featured Research & Publications

List of Labour-Affiliated Organizations

Want to help us expand our resources section? If you are interested in submitting content to us, please submit a request here. Please note that all content requests will need to go through a formal approval process before being published on the WELLS website.

Get Involved

We look forward to your participation with WELLS! Not only will you likely learn something new, but you will also help strengthen the labour movement. Don't know where to get started? To make it easier for you, we have highlighted some key ways you can get involved with WELLS below: 

 

Subscribe to Our Mail List

Stay up-to-date by subscribing to our mail list! Not only will you be the first to know about the latest news and events going on at WELLS, but you will also have access to exclusive information that will only be provided on our e-newsletters. Click here to subscribe to our mail list today!

 

Volunteer with WELLS

We believe that everyone has something valuable to contribute and we will try to offer volunteer opportunities that match your skills, knowledge, and experiences. Volunteers help work on our different labour education projects and support the society’s operational needs. If you are passionate about labour education and would like to be involved with a group of like-minded people, please reach out to us by submitting a form here.

 

Submit Content

Do you feel like you can make a meaningful contribution by providing news pieces, authored blogs, general labour education resources, and/or other educational content? If so, we would love to hear from you! We are constantly looking to share labour education content on our website. Please contact us by submitting a form here.

 

Attend a Course, Workshop, or Event

We feel appreciated when you attend a course, workshop, or event that we help promote. If you have a few minutes, take a look at our Workshops, Courses, and Events page.

 

Give to WELLS

As a recently established non-profit, we appreciate your financial support. Please contact us to learn about ways to give to WELLS by submitting a form here.

 

Send Us Feedback

Love it, dislike it, or have ideas on how it could be better? We welcome all feedback so that we can grow and improve the services we provide. Please send us your feedback by submitting a form here.

How We Started

WELLS was founded in 2020 with the assistance of a donation intended to advance and expand labour education. The COVID 19 pandemic had shifted most adult education from classroom to on-line learning, and this seemed a perfect time to coordinate available training around workers’ rights to on-line platforms.  

The idea was to allow participants to attend from anywhere, and to develop resources for both potential students and educators on a range of skill and knowledge-building topics. 

The first step was to select and register the name WELLS, and to invite potential members to a first annual meeting (AGM) where the constitution and bylaws were approved, and three directors were elected: Stephen Von Sychowski, Joey Hartman, and Janet Patterson. As well, working groups were formed to develop plans for curriculum and enhanced learning experience.

We began with what was already well founded - the labour law and education program offered by the Vancouver and District Labour Council (VDLC).  Program facilitators were invited to training sessions to learn how to use zoom as a teaching method, and how to convert their course materials to on-line offerings. 

Courses were promoted and conducted using zoom for the remainder of 2020 and 2021, and once the COVID pandemic is over it is expected that there will be both classroom and on-line options. 

In addition, WELLS hired a partnerships and projects coordinator, Justin Chen, in the summer of 2021 to develop a website, source materials and communicate with WELLS members to set out a path for the future. This includes identification of a range of labour education opportunities, how-to resources and downloadable materials.  

The intention is to be the go-to source of credible and high-quality information for those in British Columbia and beyond who share our commitment to expanding labour education, unionization and workers’ rights. 

Welcome to WELLS!
Welcome to WELLS!
Welcome to WELLS!