March 29, 2022
Calendar highlights and upcoming events:
CLC/SFL Spring School May 2-6, 2022

Registration is now open for this annual labour school. GSU will sponsor up to three attendees on a first come, first served basis. Learn more here and contact your GSU staff rep to reserve your spot or learn more.
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Prairie School for Union Women – June 13-16

This annual school will be held with virtual options and in-person workshops at the Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon.

GSU will sponsor up to three attendees on a first come, first served basis. Learn more below and contact your GSU staff rep to reserve your spot or learn more.

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SFL Summer Camp – August 5-11

This year's summer camp will be held at the Shekinah Retreat Centre near Waldheim. Young people between the ages of 13-16 who are children of union members are eligible to attend. GSU will sponsor up to three GSU campers on a first come, first served basis. Learn more below and contact your GSU staff rep to learn more.

Register Online: SFL Summer Camp
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GSU's Joint Executive Council (JEC) meets
GSU’s JEC met on March 25 to review the union’s annual audit and 2021 financial statements as well as draft the 2021/2022 annual report to union members. Council members also received and adopted the auditor’s 2021 report on GSU’s finances and financial administration.

An operating budget estimate for 2022 was approved as it takes a major upswing of collective bargaining into account and projects a sizeable deficit. However, GSU has the financial resources to cover the projected deficit and proceed with full-scale operations, as planned.

The auditor's report and audited 2021 financial statements will be included in the union 's annual report expected to be released within the next 30 days.

Learn more about the Joint Executive Council here.
Hey, Rush Fans! Enter our Rush ticket contest
Want to take a friend to watch the Saskatchewan Rush take on the Vancouver Warriors on April 9? Enter our contest and you could win two tickets to the game.

To enter, get your answer to the following question to gsu@gsu.ca by noon on April 4.

  • What is your favourite go-to snack when you are headed on a road trip?

Good luck in our contest!

Contest rules are available here.
Staff Rep Donna Driediger assisted a member who was being asked to take a temporary assignment of higher duties.

When members are assigned to a temporary role of higher duties while their supervisor or colleague is off work, they are protected through their collective bargaining agreement.

The agreement in question in this instance outlined that members who are assigned to temporarily relieve a position with a higher salary grade than their own shall be paid as if they had been promoted to the position. After 90 days, this scenario would terminate and the position posted as temporary.

"Be sure to know that if you are performing higher duties outside your position for more than three days that you are entitled to appropriate compensation," Driediger said. 
Don't hesitate to contact us if you have a workplace question or concern. Our services are provided to you as part of your union dues and there is never an additional charge for assisting you. Contact information for GSU staff representatives is available on our web page at gsu.ca.
Local 4 (Grain Millers) bargain underway
Bargaining got underway March 22, 23 and 24 in Yorkton with both sides introducing their bargaining proposal package.

"Over the three days there was good discussion, and progress was beginning to be made," reports bargaining committee member and GSU staff rep Brian Lark.

Bargaining dates have been tentatively set for April 25 and 26.

Members are encouraged to join Local 4's bargaining update group by sending their email or cell number to Steve@gsu.ca.

GSU's bargaining committee comprises Brandon Allin, Carter MacKay, Ryan McNabb, Glen Wlasichuk, Brian Lark (GSU staff) and Steve Torgerson (bargaining spokesperson and GSU staff).

Local 6 (Wild West Steelhead) bargaining postponed by company
The GSU Local 6 bargaining committee meeting scheduled for March 30 was cancelled when management advised they are no longer able to meet on the March 31 and April 1 dates they proposed.

The Local 6 agreement with their employer expired at the end of February.

GSU bargaining committee members are Dan Grenier, Connor Hartley, Logan Farwell, Paul Kennedy (alternate), Steve Torgerson (GSU staff) and Donna Driediger (GSU staff).

AEA/GSU Local 8 conciliation fails to bring about settlement
A 14-day “cooling off period” will expire at midnight on April 7.

A membership meeting and vote is scheduled for April 12 and union and company representatives have agreed neither side will take action without warning until after the membership meeting has taken place.

Updates from previous bargaining sessions are available here.

The AEA/Local 8 bargaining committee is comprised of Doug Murray (president), Steve Holliday (vice president), Dion Elliott (OH&S co-chair), Doug Kampman (secretary treasurer), Mason Van Luven (GSU staff rep) and Hugh Wagner, (union spokesperson and GSU general secretary).
Local 14 (Richardson) votes to be counted, results released March 31
On March 22, GSU Local 14 members began voting on Richardson International’s "best offer" to settle agreement renewal bargaining and renew the collective agreement between the union and the company.
 
Meetings are wrapping up. Ballots are expected to be counted and the result announced on March 31.

Additional information on past bargaining sessions is available here.

GSU bargaining committee members are Jerid Clark, Curtis Shiels, GSU staff members Donna Driediger and Mason Van Luven, and GSU general secretary/union bargaining spokesperson Hugh Wagner.
GSU is pleased to offer $2,000 scholarships to five students who demonstrate an ability and a passion to inspire positive change in their community.
Scholarship applicants must be enrolled in a diploma, degree, or certificate program at a community college, university, trade school, or technical institute as a full-time student in any country.

The scholarship competition is open to GSU members, their spouses, and dependent children who have not previously won.

Deadline for receipt of applications is June 1, 2022.

Information and application forms are available at gsu.ca
Are you mentally exhausted?
The world has been overwhelming. COVID has tested our resolve, patience, relationships and more, and any one of the multiple sources of horrific updates from the Ukraine is a lot to take in. Everything that is being thrown at us would be taxing enough before a global pandemic shut us down, but as we ease away from restrictions and try to regain our lives, we find things aren't simply waiting in place for us where we left them.

If you find yourself constantly exhausted, zoning out, angry or unable to finish simple tasks, you may be mentally exhausted. Learn more about the symptoms and how to cope, here:


Reach out to us, your friends, family, or a mental health professional if you need support.

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.