December 18, 2018 

Happy Holidays!


This will be the last TMM for 2018 and it will return to your inboxes on January 8, 2019. 

As well the GSU office will be closed from December 22 - 26, open on December 27 & 28 and closed again until January 2, 2019.  

Wishing you and your family and friends joy during the holidays and in the coming year.

All GSU Officers and Staff




Saskatchewan Rush season begin in January

With the Rush season starting in the new year GSU is happy to be giving away tickets to all the home games (and playoffs!) to lucky GSU members. And as always the trick to winning tickets is answering the skill testing question and emailing in your answer by the deadline. 

With the holiday season upon us food and drink is usually a big part of the celebrations. And there always seems to be that one, or two, items that no matter how full you are you just have to have to have another.

Be it baking, chocolates, drinks or old family recipes what is the holiday  food that you just can't say no to? 

Email in your answer to [email protected] by Friday, December 21 at noon and you will be entered to win 2 tickets to the Rush home game against San Diego on January 5. The winner will receive their tickets via email but because of holidays will not be announced until the next TMM on January 8, 2019.

 

Bargaining Update


Local 8 - Advance

UPDATE:
AEA/GSU Local 8 Serves Notice of Bargaining Impasse
 
On December 13 notice of a bargaining impasse with Advance Tank Production Ltd./Advance Tank Centres Ltd. was served by AEA/GSU Local 8. The notice was provided to the Saskatchewan Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety and the employer by GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner.
 
The Minister is expected to appoint a conciliator who will have sixty days to assist the parties in resolving the agreement renewal bargaining issues in dispute. The conciliation process won't likely begin before the new year.
 
The collective agreement expired on October 31, 2018. The issues in dispute are wage increases, retroactivity of the first year wage increase to November 1, 2018, sick leave, serious illness leave and severance pay for employees in the event of job loss. Members of AEA/GSU Local 8 gave there bargaining committee very solid backing when they convened for their annual meeting on December 11.
 
GSU's bargaining committee : general secretary Hugh Wagner, Doug Murray, Steve Holliday, Ron Gerlock and Dion Elliot



Learn more about the bargaining process and how it works

The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union has done a great job of explaining bargaining in their Bargaining for Beginners web page and accompanying  infographic. You can check those out here. 




Here's How to Take a Holiday Break That Will Improve Your Brain and Make You Happier

And you don't have to take up meditation or exercise!

Holiday season is here, and with it some end-of-the-year days off. If you've kept up with the latest productivity research, you already know why it's a great idea to give your employees a full week off at Christmas--and why it's important to take that time off yourself.

But how should you spend that time? Is there a way to spend the holiday break that will improve your health and your mood,  boost your brain function, improve your productivity, and send you into 2017 raring to go?

The answer is yes. And it has nothing to do with starting a new exercise regimen, taking up  meditation, or going to a spa--although all of those are very beneficial to do. If you want to get the absolute best benefit out of your holiday break, here's what you really need to do:

1. Unplug from work.
Does this mean you should  stop yourself from checking email or business voicemail and texts throughout the whole holiday week? Yes--if you can do that without driving yourself crazy or creating mountainous problems for yourself when you return to the office. But shutting down all contact with work for seven days isn't always practical for entrepreneurs or small business leaders. It could even lead to you having a miserable week off filled with constant worry about what's going on while you're out of touch.

2. Get plenty of sleep.
Sleep is extremely important to our work and our health and most of us don't get enough of it. Studies show that vacations improve our well-being if we make sure to get all the sleep we need during our time off. Among other things, this means making sure you have a comfortable and relaxing place to sleep where you can be sure of getting all the rest you need. That's a great reason to stay at a hotel rather than crash on a relative's couch (in case you need one).

3. Try out a new skill.
There's plenty of evidence that learning something new, such as a language or musical instrument, has powerful brain-boosting power. So spend some of your vacation week trying out a new hobby or skill which could be anything from drone flying to paddle board yoga to watercolors. Even if you never climb on a paddle board or pick up a paintbrush ever again, you'll have stretched your mind in new ways that will create new connections in your brain. By taking yourself out of your usual mental patterns, you'll go back to work refreshed.

4. Do something memorable.
Two of the biggest  benefits of a vacation are anticipating it beforehand and remembering it afterward. We can all think back on spectacular vacations we've experienced and we do think back on them fairly often. Every time we do, it makes us happy. There was a trek I took across the Southwest with my French aunt more than 20 years ago that still makes me smile when I remember it.

5. Spend time with family, friends, or community.
Another benefit of a vacation is improved relationships with your partner, friends, or family because you get to spend time with them and give them your full attention. That's good for them and good for you because there's a lot of science that tells us that the more connected we are with loved ones and with community in our lives,  the healthier and happier we are. That's important every time of year, but doubly so at holiday time. So don't be solitary at the holidays. If there isn't an appealing gathering of family or friends to attend, find a community event or volunteer somewhere.

6. Enjoy yourself.
All of this advice is useless if it leads you to do something you don't want to do. The most important way to create  happiness and well-being during and after your vacation is to make sure you spend at least some of your time off doing things that you truly enjoy. That can be challenging at holiday season which tends to come with family obligations, travel on crowded roadways or airplanes, and sometimes unpleasant winter weather.



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