May 25, 2021
Calendar highlights and upcoming events:
GSU scholarship application deadline - June 1

GSU members, spouses and dependents are eligible to apply to receive one of five $2,000 scholarships. Learn more here.

. . . . .

Prairie School for Union Women - June 22-25

Save the date for this virtual school. GSU will sponsor up to three members to attend. Contact your GSU staff rep to learn more.

GSU staff rep Donna Driediger assumes responsibility for Local 5 (Western Producer) and Local 6 (Wild West Steelhead)
Effective immediately, GSU members working for The Western Producer or Wild West Steelhead can contact staff rep Donna Driediger at GSU's Regina office if they require assistance.

Driediger is meeting with GSU staff rep Dale Markling this week to review Local 5 and 6 files in preparation for Markling's June 4 departure. She is also arranging for distribution of the new collective agreement booklets to members in these two locals.

"I've been familiarizing myself with the Local 5 and 6 collective agreements, and I'm looking forward to my new responsibilities and meeting the members," Driediger said. "I know I have some big shoes to fill and I'll do my best to ensure GSU members receive the same focus and representation they received from Dale."

The impending retirement of Saskatoon-based GSU staff rep Dale Markling has lead to new staff assignments for GSU staff on a temporary basis. We are working closely with Dale to ensure a seamless transition.

Further announcements will follow.

GSU to submit brief on supervisory employees
GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner is preparing a written brief to Saskatchewan’s Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety regarding the status of supervisory employees under the Saskatchewan Employment Act (SEA).
 
“Following a two-year period of grace, on April 29, 2016 the SEA was amended to prohibit supervisory employees from being in the same bargaining unit as those employees they supervise. Thus ended 70 years of a sound feature of labour relations legislation in the province,” said Wagner. “This amendment was acted on by the Government of the day despite almost no one having asked for it, at least not on the record.” 
 
Amidst the litigation on this subject, in mid-April the Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety asked for submissions. GSU will be tendering a brief urging that the SEA be amended to return matters to the pre-2014 status quo.
 
“While there is much to criticize and improve on in the Saskatchewan Employment Act, the carte blanche exclusion of supervisory employees stands as a particularly egregious feature of the legislation and it should be eliminated,” Wagner said. “GSU’s brief will propose that things be returned to normal.”
 
Advocating for labour legislation favourable to working people and their unions is part of GSU’s mission and mandate. Contact GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner for more information.

Read the complete story on GSU's web page: gsu.ca



Last week to apply!

GSU is awarding $2,000 scholarships to five GSU members, their spouses and children
Have you, your spouse or dependant child been accepted
into university or tech school?

If your answer is YES, you are eligible to apply for a GSU scholarship.
We don't need transcripts or marks, but we do require confirmation the scholarship applicant is 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. We also need the applicant to complete our application form, send us their two-page essay on the provided essay topic, and include a letter of recommendation from someone in their community. That's it.

It's easy to apply.

Scholarship forms and additional information are available here.

Deadline for receipt of applications is June 1, 2021.


The Local 15 (Nutrien) collective bargaining agreement has been approved, signed, and your new agreement booklets are at the printers
Every i has been dotted, every t crossed, and duly signed copies of the Local 15 (Nutrien) collective agreement are the hands of union and company officials.

It's anticipated that the new booklets will be back from the printers and ready for distribution to Local 15 members in early June. In the meantime, you can check out your agreement on our web page at gsu.ca under the COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS menu tab.

If you have questions or concerns about agreement interpretation or a workplace situation, don't hesitate to contact your GSU staff rep.
Do you celebrate your small wins?

Most of us are very quick to criticize ourselves when we make a mistake, but we are slow to celebrate our victories. That's unfortunate because there are many small wins we have throughout the day, and acknowledging and celebrating them increases our happiness and our motivation.

As you go through your day, pay attention to your achievements. Whether it is walking past the donuts in the lunch room or tackling part of a tough project, it's worth giving yourself a pat on the back.


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.