November 10, 2020

Calendar highlights and upcoming events:
GSU Local 5 (Western Producer) bargaining

Union and company representatives were scheduled to meet on Nov. 3 and Nov. 5, but those dates were cancelled when the company requested more time to prepare. Additional dates are being chosen and will be announced soon.

GSU Local 5 bargaining committee members are Sharlene Tetrault, Michelle Houlden, and GSU staff rep Dale Markling.

. . . . .
Local 6 (Wild West Steelhead) bargaining

Bargaining will resume in Lucky Lake on Nov. 19.

. . . . .
Autumn 2020 membership meetings - November

In addition to usual union business, we've got constitutional amendments for your consideration and we need you to vote on whether you want to continue paying dues into the GSU Defense Fund.

Watch your email for your meeting notice and contact your GSU staff rep if you have any questions.

. . . . .


In response to the province's health order, Grain and General Services Union is not allowing public access to their Regina and Saskatoon offices until further notice.

GSU staff will continue working within GSU offices and they are available to help you by email, phone and video calls, so don’t hesitate to contact us. If you need to make an appointment for an out-of-office meeting with a union staff member, please let us know.


Some GSU annual meetings are moving to a video conferencing format
 
In response to rising COVID-19 numbers, some of our annual membershp meetings are moving from in-person meetings to a video conferencing format.

If your local or sub-local is interested in a video conference meeting, contact your GSU staff rep.


On behalf of the members, officers, and staff of Grain and General Services Union, we extend congratulations to our five GSU scholarship recipients who will each receive $2,000:

Tyler Buenneke – Dependent Scholarship recipient
Son of Local 1 (Viterra) member Mark Buenneke
 
Dayne Patterson – Dependent Scholarship recipient
Son of Local 15 (Nutrien) member Robert Patterson
 
Alexis Wood – Dependent Scholarship recipient
Daughter of Local 2 (Viterra Office) member Sheila Tran
 
Ty Nikolejsin – Member Scholarship recipient
Local 15 (Nutrien) member
 
Marc Rapin – Member Scholarship recipient
Local 16 (Lake Country Co-op) summer student.
 
We are highlighting each of our scholarship recipients here over a five week period. You can learn more about our GSU scholarship program here.

Thank you to GSU president Jim Brown, GSU vice president Brett North, and Joint Executive Council member/Local 15 president Brian Cowan for serving as our 2020 scholarship committee.



Congratulations to Ty Nikolejsin - recipient of a $2,000 GSU scholarship

Ty was a member of GSU Local 15 (Nutrien) working in seasonal application support for Nutrien Ag Solutions. He is working toward his Agribusiness diploma through the University of Saskatchewan .

Congratulations on being awarded a GSU scholarship, Ty. Best wishes for a bright future and success in your future endeavours.
Celebrate our similarities
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”
― Maya Angelou, The Complete Collected Poems

Tomorrow we will pause and remember the brave men and women who sacrificed so much to ensure that we could enjoy freedom. When you look around the world lately, you have to wonder if we are putting our freedom to good use. 2020 has tested us like never before, encouraged us to put ourselves before others, and even pitted us against one another.

It's time for a reset.

Let's remember that at the very core, we are bound together through our desire for many similar things.

We all want to love and to feel loved.
We want to feel safe and be safe.
We all worry about dying or losing a loved one.

And we have all shared similar experiences. Who among us hasn't ...

Felt like an imposter among peers,
Appreciated the cold side of a pillow, or
Stubbed their toe on the corner of some unmovable object?

In a world where we have the ability to hold our own beliefs and express our opinions, let's remember our similarities. Resolve to be respectful of the opinions and beliefs of others - especially when you don't agree. If we all challenge ourselves to be empathetic, patient and kind, everyone will reap the rewards.


This article has been printed for entertainment purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of GSU, its members, officers, or staff.