My webCampus Experience: Kerry Austin, UFCW 175

Barrie, Ont. – October 30, 2014 – UFCW Canada members across the country are raving about the union's groundbreaking online education program, webCampus, which offers free online courses to all UFCW Canada members, their families, and community partners.

Many UFCW Canada members take webCampus courses out of personal interest, while others see them as a way to develop their knowledge and professional skills.

Kerry Austin is a UFCW Canada Local 175 member who lives in Barrie, Ontario, where she works part-time in the bulk food department at Zehr's Store #507. Kerry had the following to say about her experience taking Health and Safety courses through the webCampus program:

"I learned from these courses that health and safety affects us all, from the structural integrity of bridges and office towers to the way we slice meat in the grocery store. We need to educate ourselves, help inform our colleagues, and demand more from our employers to ensure that all workers are safe on the job."

Sister Austin also said her webCampus experience has empowered her to educate her children about health and safety issues:

"On the way to the Fan Expo in Toronto with my children, we saw a monument named '100 Workers.' It features the names of 100 Ontario workers who died in workplace accidents over the years. The monument made me think of the more than 1,000 Canadian workers who are killed on the job each year. We walked past it and the discussion started, my children had some questions and it gave me an opportunity to discuss health and safety issues with them."

Registration for the webCampus Health & Safety courses is now open. To register for these and other courses, and to find out more about the webCampus program, visit the webCampus website today.