September 24, 2019 

Upcoming events:

Joint Executive Council meeting - Sept. 26 - Regina
This body of elected officers governs the union between policy conventions.

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour convention - Oct. 23-25 - Saskatoon
GSU is an SFL affiliate and our members are eligible to attend convention. 

GSU's annual membership meetings - autumn 2019
We're starting to line up dates and locations for these meetings. If you have a specific date in mind, contact your GSU staff rep.

Contact your GSU staff rep if you are interested in attending or learning more about an event.

GSU members who sign up and are approved to participate in GSU-sanctioned events will have their time off work, wages, and expenses covered in accordance with GSU's expense policies (child care included). GSU staff will also assist you with arranging the time off with your employer.




GSU Local 2 (V iterra Head Office) treats members to a barbeque lunch

The Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ food truck rolled in and set up shop on the street by Viterra's head office in Regina on Sept. 19, giving GSU Local 2 members easy access to claim their free lunch. With brisket, beans, and pulled-pork sandwiches on the menu, we are sure more than a few members went back to their desks with sauce on their shirts.

"It was great to see a lot of people come out," said GSU staff rep Steve Torgerson. "Great food and a great way to end summer. We had a lot of positive feedback and talk about doing it again."

Thank you to Local 2 executive members Sheila Tran and Howard Wilson for their work to put this event together.

Did you know GSU Locals have access to funds to host their own member events?

Talk to your GSU staff rep at your upcoming annual meeting, or contact them here to learn more. 


Local 15 (Nutrien) delegates meet, prepare bargaining package, elect bargaining committee
Members of GSU's Local 15 (Nutrien) Board of Delegates met in Regina on Sept 19 to discuss the local's upcoming collective agreement negotiations with their employer.
 
The June 2019 Local 15 membership survey provided valuable insight for delegates as they considered and identified bargaining priorities. After a thorough review and discussion, delegates assembled a package of proposals to begin the negotiation process. 

The meeting elected the following members to comprise the bargaining committee for negotiations:
 
Dale Markling - Chief Negotiator (GSU staff)
Steve Torgerson - Advisor (GSU staff)
Brian Cowan - Local 15 rep
Curtis Cousins - Local 15 rep
Lynn Shaw - Local 15 rep
Bruce Thompson - alternate
Robert Cay - alternate.
 
Nutrien management representatives have been served with notice to bargain.

Bargaining updates and information will be shared in future Tuesday Members' Memos and on our web page at gsu.ca.


 
James Hajewich (Local 1 - Viterra) just won a hoodie.  We know it's a hoodie, because that's what he calls it.

Last week we asked you to pick a side in the bunnyhug versus hoodie debate, and it turns out  GSU members feel very strongly about the name they give their hooded shirts. 

We had a lot of very spirited answers and we even learned some new terms, such as kangaroo coat, zip-up hoodie, and draw-hoodie. We also found out that when some of you were growing up, girls called these shirts bunnyhugs and the boys called them hoodies. 

Ultimately, it was James Hajewich whose name was drawn as the winner of one of our new GSU hooded shirts. Congratulations, James. Your hoodie is on its way to you.

Thanks to everyone who played along.

Check out our contest rules.


Joint Executive Council to meet Thursday, select new GSU Defense Fund director

GSU's governing body, the Joint Executive Council (JEC) will be meeting in Regina on Sept. 26. 

Council members will receive an a dministration and financial update, review the General Secretary's autumn 2019 report, and make plans for our 2020 Convention at the Temple Gardens and Spa in Moose Jaw.  They will also be choosing someone to sit on the GSU Defense Fund as one of the board directors.

Are you interested in becoming a Defense Fund director? It's not too late to submit your name.

Learn more  here, or contact your GSU staff rep for more information.




Social media is making you sad

If you believe social media, everyone has the perfect life. (Spoiler alert: it's not true.)

Looking at all those perfect selfies, perfect relationships, and perfect experiences your online friends want you to see can leave you feeling inadequate. Even worse, envying your online friends can actually lead to depression.

Learn more here:  Science explains why Facebook makes you sad, and why you keep using it anyway

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



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