June 22, 2021
Calendar highlights and upcoming events:
GSU's spring visitation schedule

GSU staff reps are on the road. If you haven't seen your rep yet you can expect to see or hear from them soon. And if you are a member of Local 15 (Nutrien), your rep will be providing copies of your newly signed collective agreement.

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We're accepting expressions of interest from GSU members wanting to become a GSU Defense Fund director

Would you like to be a director on GSU's Defense Fund? Learn more here. Deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is July 1, 2021.

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GSU scholarship committee to announce recipients in mid-July

GSU scholarship committee will meet to select five $2,000 scholarship recipients based on their essays and community involvement reference letters. It is anticipated the recipients will be announced by mid-July.

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Office facelift underway at the GSU Regina office

GSU's Regina office is receiving some much needed work. The aging brick exterior needed some TLC and the options were to repoint it or change things up with stucco. The decision was made to do latter.

The building is owned by GSU, and that means we aren't paying a mortgage or monthly rental for office space and parking," said GSU's assistant general secretary Lynn Woods. "There has been discussion in the past whether it was better to rebuild, move to a rented location, or maintain the building we own. Ultimately, the benefits of the current office and it's location made it desirable to do the needed upgrades and stay put where we are."

As with any project, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, and new windows will replace the wooden sliders now in place. The old flashing on the building was also cracking, bent, and failing, and stucco allows new flashing to be properly installed and that is welcome news as some water was starting to find its way into the building.

Regina's Artistic Masonry & Stucco is busy doing their preliminary work in preparation for the window installation in August and the stucco application shortly after. It is expected the renovations will be complete by early autumn.

With COVID restrictions lifting we are able to welcome members back into the office again, so if you find yourself in Regina, drop by and see us at 2334 McIntyre Street. We'd be happy to show you around.

GSU's executive committee meets, reviews recruiting process for staff rep vacancy, office renovations
GSU’s executive committee comprising president Jim Brown, vice presidents Michelle Houlden and Curtis Cousins along with general secretary Hugh Wagner held a conference call meeting on June 17.
 
The committee received an update on renovations to GSU’s office in Regina, considered proposals for donation requests, and covered other administrative matters including the process for recruiting a GSU staff representative to fill the vacancy created by Dale Markling’s retirement. Plans were also made for an in-person meeting of the union’s Joint Executive Council (board of directors) and a union education day in mid- to late September.
 
Subject to approval by the Joint Executive Council, GSU will issue an advertisement of the staff representative vacancy in mid-August.
The imminent lifting of COVID restrictions is raising questions for members
Saskatchewan residents are anxiously anticipating the July 11 lifting of restrictions and the option of returning to the way they choose to handle the threat of COVID. You can expect that making decisions of how you conduct yourself in your community and at home may be a little more straightforward than the expectations that surround you in your workplace. That is becoming clear as GSU members and their employers are already in touch with GSU staff reps about what happens next and employee rights at work.

  • What is the facemask policy when some employees are vaccinated and some are not?
  • Can the employer tell me whether I have to wear a mask?
  • Are there still sick leave accommodations if I am in close contact with someone who has or may have COVID?

These are a few of the questions that we are starting to hear at the union office.

"We have less than a month before the changes will take place," said GSU staff rep Steve Torgerson. "Obviously, we are concerned about the rights and the safety of our members and we're working to help make this transition as easy as possible for everyone involved. Don't wait to contact us if you have questions or concerns about how the lifting of restrictions will affect your workplace."

No problem is too small! Sometimes a brief comment, email, or meeting is all that's needed to address a situation. Call us when you think there is a problem to be fixed. Our services are provided to you as part of your union dues and there is never an additional charge for assisting you.

We're accepting expressions of interest from GSU members wanting to become a GSU Defense Fund director
Are you interested in becoming a director on GSU's Defense Fund?

The board of directors of the GSU Defense Fund is responsible for overseeing the administration and investment of the Fund assets (currently $5.3 million). The primary purpose of the Fund is to provide income protection and assistance to GSU members who are engaged in a strike or lockout.

The board of directors meets three times a year by conference call and at least once per year in person. Time off work for directors to attend to Defense Fund business is paid for by GSU along with directors’ travel, meal and hotel expenses.

Members who are elected to the Joint Executive Council of GSU are not eligible for election to the Defense Fund Board of Directors. Of the five Defense Fund Directors, three are required to be from Local 1 (Viterra Ops/Maintenance) and/or Local 2 (Viterra Head Office) and/or Local 14 (Richardson) and/or Local 15 (Nutrien).

The current vacancies on the board are open to be filled by GSU members in good standing who are employed in a certified GSU bargaining unit.

If you are interested in becoming a GSU Defense Fund director or learning more about the responsibilities of a director, contact GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner at Hugh@gsu.ca.

Deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is July 1, 2021.

What is your mission statement?
Companies have mission statements to guide how they operate and do business. But have you thought about having a personal mission statement?

A mission statement is defined as a written declaration of an organization’s core purpose and focus that normally remains unchanged over time. A personal mission statement, states the core values YOU live by.

Learn more here:


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.