September 7, 2021
Calendar highlights and upcoming events:
Local 2 (Viterra Head Office) summer contests continue
GSU Local 2 executive members Howard Wilson, Sheila Tran and Kaylee Kruger continue to hang on to summer with some great summer contest giveaways. If you are a Local 2 member, watch your email or check-in with your executive to learn more.


Local 8 (Advance) to hold special membership meeting Sept. 21
The meeting will review draft bargaining proposals prepared by the executive committee of the Local and based on the ideas submitted by members.

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Joint Executive Council meeting, GSU educational - Sept. 23 & 24
The union's governing body will meet to review union business. An educational component will also form part of the two-day meeting.

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EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY
65th Annual SFL convention - Virtual, Oct. 21 & 22
This year, the convention will take place entirely online. While convention will be shorter than usual, it will still feature many of the usual convention activities and ways for delegates to engage.

Contact the GSU office if you are interested in attending. Learn more here.
Local 14 (Richardson Pioneer) collective agreement expires Dec. 31, notice to bargain being served today
GSU will serve notice to bargain today to Richardson International Limited on behalf of the members of the union’s Local 14.
 
When notice to bargain the amendment and renewal of a collective agreement is served under the Canada Labour Code, the employer and the union are required to meet and make a good faith effort to negotiate a renewed collective agreement. The collective agreement between GSU and Richardson currently covers 10 locations in Saskatchewan.
 
In this instance, the collective agreement expires on Dec. 31. However, even if the parties haven’t reached a new agreement by the expiry date, the existing collective agreement lives on until the parties agree on a replacement or they exhaust the bargaining dispute process under the Canada Labour Code and end up in a legal strike or lockout situation.
 
"GSU’s relationship with Richardson management is open, straightforward and respectful," says GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. "So far we’ve always been able to find the basis for bargaining a renewed collective agreement without too much difficulty and I anticipate this time around will proceed along the same lines."
 
"We’ve just completed receiving bargaining surveys from Local 14 members and work is underway to distill the results for sharing with the Local’s union delegates. From there, a series of bargaining proposals will be put together and eventually presented to the employer," Wagner said. "We will be working with the Local 14 delegates to take a solid set of bargaining proposals to the employer."
 
"Not surprisingly, a substantial wage increase topped the list of priorities identified in the surveys returned by Local 14 members," said Wagner. "We’ll do our best at the bargaining table to achieve the aspirations identified by union members. Ultimately the outcome is in their hands as any settlement or other action is subject to a vote by union members."
 
Updates will be provided as agreement renewal collective bargaining proceeds.


Congratulations to Tim Kachmarski – winner of an iPad in our Local 14 (Richardson Pioneer) bargaining survey draw 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our bargaining survey. The insight you have provided is important and appreciated. 



The work of drafting agreement renewal bargaining proposals is underway on behalf of AEA/GSU Local 8 members
The collective agreement with Advance Tank Production/Advance Tank Centres expires on Oct. 31 and notice to bargain has been served on the employer. A special membership meeting will be held on Sept. 21 to review draft bargaining proposals prepared by the Executive Committee of the Local and based on the ideas submitted by members.
 
"Members working for Advance have been through very challenging times resulting from the employer’s near bankruptcy failure in 2015 followed by turmoil in the oil industry," said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. "Add pandemic issues - such as paid sick leave - to the equation and it’s not difficult to come up with a list of bargaining proposals to take to the employer."
 
Bargaining dates with Advance will be arranged following the Sept. 21 AEA/Local 8 membership meeting.
 
Updates will be provided as bargaining unfolds.
Job interviews with applicants for GSU’s vacant staff representative position will be held Sept. 9 and 10
“A good selection of applications was received and the job of vetting candidates begins,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “The hiring committee comprises GSU president Jim Brown, vice presidents Michelle Houlden and Curtis Cousins, staff representative Steve Torgerson, and me.”
 
Once the selection process is completed and a new representative is hired, the individual will be based in Saskatoon. A hiring recommendation must be presented to GSU’s Joint Executive Council (board of directors) for approval. The next meeting of the Joint Executive Council is scheduled for Sept. 24.
 
An announcement stemming from the hiring process will be made following the Sept. 24 meeting of GSU’s Joint Executive Council.

We've got two tickets to the Sept. 17 Riders v. Argonauts game
We hope the Riders will be fresh off a Banjo Bowl win when they return to take on the Toronto Argonauts on Sept. 17, and we have two tickets to give away to the Friday night game.

You can enter our draw by sending us your answer to the following question:

What is your favourite thing about autumn?

Get your answer to us by noon on Sept. 10, and you will be entered in our draw for a GSU clear bag and two tickets to the Sept. 17 game.

Good luck!

Contest details are available here.

Stress and Anxiety - how to calm down, and when it's time to seek medical help
Life is stressful - particularly so as the world reacts to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn how to calm down when you are feeling anything but calm, and at what point it's time to seek medical assistance.


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.