February 2, 2021

Calendar highlights and upcoming events:
GSU Local 14 (Richardson) Board of Delegates meeting - Feb. 3

This conference call meeting of delegates is being coordinated and hosted by GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner.
. . . . .
GSU Local 15 (Nutrien) Board of Delegates meeting - Feb. 3

This conference call meeting of delegates is being coordinated and hosted by GSU staff rep Dale Markling.
. . . . .
GSU Convention - Regina, SK - March 18 & 19

All available in-person credentials have now been assigned to delegates.

If you received a registration notice and are interested in attending the convention online, take a moment to complete your registration form and send it back to GSU in order to secure your spot.

. . . . .

Local 5 (Western Producer) and Local 6 (Wild West Steelhead) collective agreements are now available online at gsu.ca
 
Draft agreements have been prepared and they are ready to view or download from our web page at gsu.ca. You can find them under the Collective Agreements tab, or by using the links below.


The terms of tentative agreements have been incorporated in both these draft versions of new collective agreements. Both agreements are being shared with employer representatives for review and signature and, once the agreements have been signed, GSU will make collective agreement booklets for distribution to members.

All GSU agreements are available on our web page. If you have questions about your collective agreement, contact your GSU staff representative.

GSU Defense Fund ends year with new h­­­­igh
 
The Defense Fund is an important component of union members’ resources. The primary purposes of the GSU Defense Fund is to ensure and provide for the continued operation of GSU and to provide strike/lockout pay to members of GSU in the event they strike or are locked out.

The market value of GSU Defense Fund investments reached a new high-water mark of $5.2 million at the end of December 2020.
 
The overwhelming amount of the Fund is invested with RBC Dominion Securities. A cash account with Affinity Credit Union is also maintained to receive dues revenues.
 
The overall 2020 return on the investments with RBC was 5.36%. US investments far outpaced Canadian investments in 2020 at a 14.01% return compared to 3.54%.
 
At their most recent meeting in December, the Board of Directors authorized shifting the RBC asset mix from an approximately 60/40 split in favour of fixed income securities to 60/40 in favour of equities.
 
In March, GSU convention delegates will elect the directors of the GSU Defense Fund for two-year terms of office.

Would you like to be a director on the Defense Fund Board?

Learn more about the Board and their responsibilities here.

If you are interested in applying or learning more about what the position entails, contact GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner at Hugh@gsu.ca.

Use caution when unsubscribing from scammy texts and emails
Trying to find an email or text you are looking for among the clutter of unwanted messages is nothing short of incredibly annoying.

We all have our legitimate and familiar cast of characters who are repeat offenders of sending us too much information on our favourite clothing store's latest sale, alerts about a package that has been delivered, and breaking news from our chosen media sources. Unsubscribing from sources you recognize whose addresses correspond with the company's name likely won't cause you any problems. But touching or responding to unfamiliar, unexpected, and unsolicited emails and texts can give scammers a heads-up that they have found an active address, and that makes you a mark for spam and phishing.

Click the links below to learn more about how to protect yourself from scammers and why you should never unsubscribe or interact with even slightly sketchy texts or emails.


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.