Anything can happen, but here is what we have scheduled for the week:
annual meetings continue and GSU staff will be on the road throughout the week. Haven't had your meeting yet? Watch your email for meeting announcements and updates.
the Tuesday Members' Memo is emailed to GSU members weekly on Tuesday. If you know a co-worker who doesn't receive the TMM and would like to, have them call GSU toll-free at 1.866.522.6686 or send an email to [email protected]
general secretary Hugh Wagner attended a conference call meeting on Tuesday morning. He has another conference call meeting scheduled for Wednesday
staff rep Steve Torgerson will attend a Local 4 (Grain Millers) meeting on Wednesday
candidate interviews for the GSU staff representative position begin in Regina on Friday.
Upcoming events:
GSU membership meetings
Autumn 2017
Whether we drop by and see you or schedule a meeting in your local, we'll be in touch. Can't wait to hear from us? Contact your GSU
staff rep.
GSU's calendar of events is regularly updated and available on GSU's web page - www.gsu.ca.
A former member of GSU had a number of questions regarding their benefit under the old SWP/GSU pension plan. With the permission of the pensioner, staff rep Lawrence Maier contacted the pension officials and got the required information.
"One issue we often encounter is pensioners who turn 60 years of age and are surprised when their monthly pension drops. In checking with the papers filled out when they retired, it is almost always due to the fact that they chose to integrate their pension with their CPP and OAS benefits," Lawrence advises. "In this way, they are paid more money up front, but the monthly benefit from the pension plan drops when they become eligible for CPP at age 60. There is another drop in the pension benefit when the retiree becomes eligible for the Old Age Security benefit from the government."
Integration is a way for those who retire before age 60 to increase their income from the pension plan against taking a reduction in pension once they become eligible for CPP and OAS.
Always check with a trusted financial advisor before you make your decision on what pension option to choose.
Contact a GSU staff rep with your questions and concerns. We will work with you to find answers to your questions and find solutions that work for you. Contact information for GSU staff is available here.
Emeritus Professor of Law questions partial repeal of privatization bill
You may have seen an op-ed piece by Tim Quigley, Emeritus Professor of Law, in any number of Saskatchewan publications. Quigley is concerned about the partial repeal of Bill 40 which which leaves the government with the legal power to shut down all or part of a major Crown corporation without public input.
Excerpts from his submission follow.
"... our Crown corporations are under threat. In the spring, the Sask Party government passed legislation, Bill 40, that permits the privatization of 49% of a Crown corporation without the public process that would otherwise be required under another law. Bill 40 also says that winding up (shutting down) a Crown corporation is not privatization."
"Saskatchewan residents have such strong support for the Crown corporations because they know the valuable services the Crowns provide - services that would certainly be more expensive through the private sector but perhaps not available at all. That is why there has been a great deal of controversy about Bill 40. That is likely why Premier Wall announced a couple of weeks ago that his government has listened and will repeal the Bill. However, the Throne Speech opening this session of the Legislature indicated that the repeal will not include the repeal of the winding up portion. This means the government will retain the legal power to shut down all or part of a major Crown corporation without the public input required under The Crown Corporations Public Ownership Act.
The possibility of a partial repeal is very suspicious. Just last week, new legislation was introduced in the Legislature that would change the law governing SaskEnergy."
Read the complete story on GSU's web page:
www.gsu.ca
3.5 million Canadians can't afford to fill their prescriptions. Nobody should have to choose between paying for groceries or the medication they need.
Help us win a universal prescription drug plan for everyone.
Attend the town hall meeting Nov. 23 in Regina. Learn more here.
Break these 7 habits and appear more intelligent at work
It's surprising how quickly something you do can cause others to question your intelligence. Fortunately, there are some quick fixes that will help you put your best foot forward and show people how clever you really are.
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