GSU scholarship applications are in the hands of our scholarship committee

Thank you to everyone who applied to our scholarship program. Our scholarship committee will be meeting over the summer to select this year's five recipients who will each receive a $2,000 scholarship to assist them in their studies.

.....

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Education Opportunities

SFL Summer Camp

Shekinah Retreat Centre (Near Waldheim, SK)

August 19-25, 2023

GSU will sponsor up to three campers who are dependents of GSU members. Contact your staff rep to learn more.

.....

Local 1 and 2 (Viterra) members fought for - and won - their 2022 Short Term Incentive Plan (STIP) bonus

On March 15, 2023, Viterra announced that the annual bonus paid to their employees would be paid to everyone except Local 1 and 2 members. Their excuse? The union wouldn't agree to the company's pay system.

Let's not kid ourselves. This move was intended to influence members to back down at the bargaining table.

The members of Locals 1 and 2 were not going to be pushed off their goal of making some significant improvements to their collective agreement. In fact, the STIP issue became a rallying point to have members speak up, show their solidarity and demand the STIP be paid.

Over 70 percent of Local 1 and 2 members signed a petition demanding the STIP be paid and stating they wouldn't let the company use the STIP against them. The members shared personal stories of how the company's actions were harming them and the jobs they do. They spoke out and told their managers they deserved their STIP, and they refused to go above and beyond if the company didn't value their work. The Locals also filed an unfair labour practice challenging the company's decision as it took place during negotiations.

Nearly three months after their March announcement, last week Viterra announced that they would release the STIP and pay it to all eligible members.

This victory for Local 1 and 2 members is no small feat and is the result of actions taken by members to demand what was owed to them.

"While the dollar value of the STIP is well into the seven figures, the true significance lies in the additional value to members as they stood shoulder to shoulder to fight for what was theirs and what is right," said GSU general secretary and Local 1 and 2 bargaining committee spokesperson Steve Torgerson.

"When someone asks you why you need a union, or what the benefits of belonging to a union are, use this story as an example," Torgerson continued. "Members did everything they could, from a legal challenge to not going above and beyond, but what ultimately made the difference was that the vast majority of members acted together and supported each other."

Ensuring a member was aware of their collective agreement entitlements and options

A member reached out to GSU when their partner went into labour a month ahead of schedule and required an extended multi-week stay in a major center's hospital. GSU staff rep Donna Driediger advised the member what collective agreement entitlements they had access to as a partner and caregiver.

"When you are faced with new challenges and are unsure about your rights, call your GSU staff rep," Driediger urges. "We would be happy to help navigate your specific needs with you."

If you need advice or ideas about how to handle a workplace situation, call your GSU staff rep. Our services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

Local 1 (Viterra Ops & Maintenance) & Local 2 (Viterra Head Office) committee to meet company representatives June 23

Bargaining continues in Regina this week, on June 23, 2023. The Local 1 and 2 bargaining committees will continue to push for a renewed collective agreement, and with the company's announcement last week that they have agreed to pay the 2022 STIP to members, the committee is looking forward to meeting with company representatives on Friday.

An email update will be issued following the June 23 bargaining session.

You can read previous updates on the VITERRA BARGAINING page on GSU's main web page under the Bargaining menu tab. Contact Mason@gsu.ca to be added to our bargaining update email list.

GSU bargaining committee members are Local 1 – Jim Brown (Balgonie), Wilfred Harris (Carnduff), Shannon Antonenko (Lloydminster), David Barrett (Gull Lake), Travis Brewer (Saskatoon), Dale Lysitza (Lloydminster) and Broc Goodwin (Moose Jaw); Local 2 – Sheila Tran, Howard Wilson and Kaylee Kruger with assistance from GSU staff representatives Mason Van Luven and Steve Torgerson (GSU bargaining committee spokesperson). Don't hesitate to contact your bargaining committee with any questions or concerns you may have.

Local 5 (Western Producer) bargaining impasse: mediation continues July 26 & 27

While mediation is ongoing with WPP management and their hired anti-union lawyer, GSU is unable to discuss the details due to confidentiality. 

However, we can tell you that Local 5 GSU members met on June 15 to discuss ideas moving forward with bargaining.

Members are considering ways they are able to show their support and steadfast commitment to their fellow members and their local. Ideas include Local 5 t-shirt days, coffee mugs, billboards, and many other clear signs of workers working together. So far, mugs have been ordered and t-shirts are being coordinated.

Check out the mug designs, below.

"We are examining how GSU Local 1 and 2 members worked successfully together to fight back against company management," said GSU staff rep and union bargaining committee co-spokesperson Donna Driediger. "We stand stronger when members work together to have their voices heard as a collective."

Further mediation dates are set for July 26 and 27. 

The bargaining committee comprises Michelle Houlden, Laurie Michalycia, Donna Driediger (bargaining co-spokesperson/GSU staff) and Steve Torgerson (bargaining co-spokesperson/GSU staff).

Local 16 (Lake Country Co-op) - awaiting company approval on final wording of the new collective agreement

GSU staff rep Brian Lark has incorporated amendments made during the recent round of bargaining into the wording of a new collective bargaining agreement. We are hopeful Lake Country Co-op representatives will complete their review soon and the final adjustments can be made. Upon approval of the final wording by union and company officials, the new collective agreement will be formatted into booklets and distributed to members.  

Local 17 (Discovery Co-op) - awaiting company approval on final wording of the new collective agreement

We are hopeful company representatives will soon complete their review and we can incorporate final adjustments to the new collective agreement wording. Following that, we will post the agreement on our web page and format it into new collective agreement booklets for members.

Local 18 (Lloydminster & District Cooperative Association) - new collective agreement wording being finalized

On May 25, members of Local 18 voted in favour of accepting the proposed memorandum of agreement. Steps have been made toward incorporating the changes into the collective agreement. Once wording is finalized and agreed upon, we will make copies of the agreement and distribute them to members.



Local 19 (Prairie Co-op) - current collective agreement expires Dec. 31, 2023

With their collective agreement set to expire on Dec 31, 2023, Local 19 will be our last Co-op local to round out what has been nearly two consistent years of negotiations with Federated Co-operatives Limited and other Co-ops across Saskatchewan, headed by GSU staff representative Brian Lark. Local 19 will benefit from the lessons learned and the priorities shared at those tables as we gear up for negotiations that will likely center on the cost of living. 

In the coming months, GSU staff rep Mason Van Luven is planning to engage with the members of Local 19 to assess their priorities, hear from them, and elect bargaining committee members.

Don't jump to conclusions when talking to people! You may not know the whole story

Jumping to conclusions is a phenomenon where people reach a decision prematurely based on insufficient information. For example, a person jumping to conclusions might assume that someone they just met is angry at them simply because that person wasn’t smiling at them while they talked, even though there are many alternative explanations for that behaviour.

Take a moment to consider what else might be going on before leaping ahead to a conclusion. We all have good and bad days and good and bad reasons for how we behave.

If you find yourself judging or making a negative assessment of someone based on a few conversations or one action, try finding out more about the situation or spend more time talking to the person. None of us would ever want to be judged by our worst moments.

Learn more here:

• Before Judging Someone, Try Understanding the Whole Story
• Five ways to stop yourself from jumping to conclusions and hurting your relationships