Author Archives: Grain and General Services Union

GSU CONVENTION UPDATE: Delegates make the best of new convention format to take care of union business

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GSU delegates gathered in Regina and online March 18 and 19 to participate in GSU’s 14th biennial policy convention. The convention was originally scheduled for March 2020 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While GSU conventions are known for being in person, highly interactive and social, this year’s convention observed government regulations for gatherings with an option for delegates to participate via Zoom if they preferred. The usual getting-to-know-you session, educational component, banquet and accompanying social were set aside this year in favour of a lean agenda which strictly addressed required business and kept meeting time to a minimum.

Delegates made the best of the new convention format by patiently and diligently working through the business of the union, including approval of the Joint Executive Council’s annual report* to members, the union’s audited financial statements, and a budget estimate for 2021. A wide variety of resolutions were also considered and approved, and election of GSU’s top officers and five directors to GSU’s Defense Fund took place. Serving GSU members for the next two years are:

President – Jim Brown
Vice Presidents – Curtis Cousins / Michelle Houlden
General Secretary – Hugh Wagner
Defense Fund Directors – Wilfred Harris, Barb Healey, Doug Kampman, Darryl Knelsen, and Sheldon Reiss.

“The conditions for holding a convention were unusual and they made things cumbersome to say the least,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “We played the cards we were dealt and it wouldn’t have been possible to conduct the essential business of GSU without the patience, participation, and support of the convention delegates.”

“We are looking forward to a return to our familiar convention format in 2023.”

*The Annual Report of the Joint Executive Council with accompanying audited financial statements is being prepared for distribution to GSU members. Contact your GSU staff rep if you would like additional details about the work accomplished at GSU’s convention.

GSU convention delegates gather in person, via Zoom to debate resolutions, approve reports, and tend to union business

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GSU delegates gathered in Regina and online March 18 and 19 to participate in GSU’s 14th biennial policy convention

The convention was originally scheduled for March 2020 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While GSU conventions  are known for being in person, highly interactive and social, this year’s convention observed government regulations for gatherings with an option for delegates to participate via Zoom if they preferred. The usual getting-to-know-you session, educational component, banquet and accompanying social were set aside this year in favour of a lean agenda which strictly addressed required business and kept meeting time to a minimum.

Delegates made the best of the new convention format by patiently and diligently working through the business of the union, including approval of the Joint Executive Council’s annual report* to members, the union’s audited financial statements, and a budget estimate for 2021. A wide variety of resolutions were also considered and approved, and election of GSU’s top officers and five directors to GSU’s Defense Fund took place. Serving GSU members for the next two years are:

President – Jim Brown
Vice Presidents – Curtis Cousins / Michelle Houlden
General Secretary – Hugh Wagner
Defense Fund Directors – Wilfred Harris, Barb Healey, Doug Kampman, Darryl Knelsen, and Sheldon Reiss.

“The conditions for holding a convention were unusual and they made things cumbersome to say the least,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “We played the cards we were dealt and it wouldn’t have been possible to conduct the essential business of GSU without the patience, participation, and support of the convention delegates.”

“We are looking forward to a return to our familiar convention format in 2023.”

*The Annual Report of the Joint Executive Council with accompanying audited financial statements is being prepared for distribution to GSU members. 

Contact your GSU staff rep   if you would like additional details about the work accomplished at GSU’s convention.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: GSU files executive grievance challenging denial of sick leave benefits to employees age 65+

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March 16, 2021 TMM

GSU has filed an executive grievance challenging Richardson Pioneer over the denial of sick leave benefits to employees age 65 or older.

The grievance was filed with company representatives on March 10 and a grievance meeting will be held on April 8 or 9.

“Paid sick leave has always been an important benefit and should be available to every employee regardless of age or other restrictive criteria,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “In my opinion, denial of sick leave on the basis of age is a violation of the “no discrimination” provisions of the collective agreement as well as human rights legislation.”

“GSU will present its position to Company management at the April grievance meeting and I’m hopeful that we can sort this out relatively quickly,” Wagner said. “If the matter isn’t resolved through the grievance procedure, arbitration is the next stage.”

Updates will be reported as the grievance moves forward.

March 9, 2021 TMM

An inquiry from a member of Local 14 (Richardson Pioneer) led GSU to dig into the issue of paid sick leave benefits for employees who are age 65 or older.

 “Our position is that anyone who continues working under a GSU collective agreement that provides for paid sick leave benefits should have access to the benefits regardless of age,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “In this instance there is some old language about sick leave payments not continuing past normal retirement age, but there isn’t a normal retirement age any longer and there hasn’t been one for years.”

GSU has raised this matter with the employer and will be pursuing grievance action if the matter cannot be resolved through discussion. GSU is also reviewing other employers’ policies to determine whether the same issue is present elsewhere.

Identifying problems as soon as they arise benefits everyone.  Contact GSU  when you think there is a problem to be fixed.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: Boot inspections, Local 1 (Viterra)

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Some Local 1 (Viterra) members have been the subject of employer boot inspections to assess the quality of their boots for working on concrete and snow. After the inspection, members are advised of boot options and how much extra they can expect to spend over the $175 boot allowance outlined in the collective agreement in order to get new boots. 

From what we understand, none of the new boot options from the employer are priced within range of the current boot allowance.

GSU staff rep Donna Driediger has reached out to the employer requesting confirmation of what happens next when an FOM or AOM advises an employee that their boots should be upgraded. Specifically, Driediger has asked whether a new pair of boots will be supplied, if an additional boot voucher will be issued to employees, or if a top-up for boots can be expected by Local 1 members who have been advised their boots are not meeting the mark. 

Happy International Women’s Day!

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#ChooseToChallenge

A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change.
Let’s all choose to challenge.
How will you help forge a gender equal world?
Celebrate women’s achievements. Raise awareness against bias.
Take action for equality.

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Learn more here.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: GSU members receiving lower rate of pay than new employee in same job classification with less experience

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GSU is assisting a number of GSU members who are receiving a lower rate of pay than a new employee in the same job classification with less experience. The actions on behalf of the senior GSU members in question is based on the principles of equity and fairness and seeks to raise the senior employees’ rate of pay. In fulfilling pay equity principles an employer cannot reduce higher paid employees’ pay in order to reach an equitable standard. 

 Actions in favour of pay equity and fairness are possible for GSU members without a lot of red tape and complicated processes as a direct benefit of union representation and a collective agreement.

Identifying problems as soon as they arise benefits everyone. Contact your GSU staff rep when you think there is a problem to be fixed.

GSU CONVENTION 2021: Delegates to elect GSU president, two vice presidents, general secretary and the five-person board of the GSU Defense Fund

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Delegates to GSU’s biennial policy convention will elect the union’s president, two vice presidents and general secretary as well as the five person board of directors of the GSU Defense Fund. Accordingly convention delegates who wish to be a candidate for any of these offices are asked to be guided by the following procedure approved by GSU’s executive Committee:

  1. Candidates for president, vice-president and general secretary must be delegates to the GSU biennial policy convention where the elections are being held and may be nominated by another delegate or they may nominate (volunteer) themselves for office and need not have a nominator.
  1. Candidates for the GSU Defense Fund board of directors need not be delegates to the GSU policy convention, but they must be GSU members in good standing. Candidates may be nominated by another GSU member or they may volunteer themselves for office and need not have a nominator.
  1. Since GSU’s 2021 policy convention will consist of in-person delegates as well as delegate participating remotely via a video link, the following election and voting process has been adopted for the 2021 GSU policy convention.
  2. Delegates to the 2021 policy convention who wish to be a candidate for an elected office(s) are asked to do the following:

– to announce their candidacy ahead of time,
– to identify the office(s) they are running for,
– to provide a brief bio, and
– to provide a photo of themselves.

Candidates who wish to have their information distributed to convention delegates ahead of time are asked to send their announcements and information to GSU’s Assistant General Secretary by email to Lynn@gsu.ca for arrival by March 10, 2021.

Candidate information received by March 10, 2021 will be circulated to all of the delegates in advance of the convention call to order on March 18, 2021.

  1. Candidates who do not announce in advance will still be able to declare their candidacy during convention on March 18 at 4:00 p.m., but they will sacrifice the advance opportunity to connect their information with delegates.
  1. Since the 2021 policy convention consists of in-person and video link delegates, all voting in the elections will be conducted electronically. This will allow instant and confidential tabulation of results.
  1. Beginning with election of president, the delegate chairing the convention session at 4:00 p.m. on March 18, 2021 will declare nominations to be open and will identify the candidates who have announced their intention to run for the office in advance of convention.
  1. The chairperson will ask if there are any additional candidates and will then ask each candidate to confirm that they are running for the office in question.
  1. Each candidate will be given an opportunity to speak to convention delegates for two minutes before the election process proceeds.
  1. If there is only one candidate for an office they will be asked to confirm their candidacy and, after ensuring there are no other candidates, the candidate will be declared elected by acclamation.
  1. If there are two or more candidates for an elected office there shall be an election in which delegates cast a secret ballot in favour of the candidate(s) they choose.
  1. In elections with three or more candidates for the position(s) in question the candidate with the lowest vote total will drop out of the next round of voting.
  1. An election will be declared once a candidate(s) has received fifty (50) percent plus one of the votes cast.
  1. The elections will be conducted in descending order starting with the office of president. The election for each office will be completed before moving on to the next.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: members being asked to work outside Saskatchewan

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GSU staff rep Donna Driediger is monitoring a situation where GSU members are being asked to work outside the province.

Interprovincial travel is permitted for Saskatchewan residents, but public health recommends limiting interprovincial travel, if possible.

If you need advice about how to handle a workplace situation, call your GSU staff rep.

We will work with you to find answers to your questions, recommend what course of action to follow, and find the solutions that work for you. Our contact information is available here. 

Grievance update on storm stayed employees

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On Nov. 9 a number of GSU Local 1 (Viterra) members were prevented from going to work as a result of a severe snow storm that affected communities in south west and west central Saskatchewan.

In response to inquiries from union members who missed work as a result of the snow storm, GSU intervened with Viterra management to urge use of pressing necessity leave to cover absences from work. After a couple meetings, Viterra declined to consider the absences as falling under pressing necessity leave. GSU commenced grievance action and the matter has now passed through Step 2 of the grievance procedure under GSU’s collective agreement with Viterra.

“Step 3 is the final meeting in the grievance procedure where yet another effort will be made to convince management to change their stance,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “If the situation doesn’t change at Step 3, the next decision is whether to send the grievance to arbitration by a neutral arbitrator.”

“Although this grievance has moved slowly it is still better than the alternative of accepting the employer’s word as final,“ Wagner said. “Amongst many other advantages, being unionized means employees get to challenge, question, and test their employer’s response to real life situations.”

“While not every challenge or grievance is successful, the net impact is to make the workplace a little more democratic and highlight issues that need to be addressed at the agreement renewal bargaining table,” said Wagner.

Further updates will follow.

Would you like to be a GSU Defense Fund director? Learn more here

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GSU convention delegates will elect five Defense Fund directors

When delegates to GSU’s biennial conventions meet they elect five union members to two-year terms on the board of directors of the GSU Defense Fund.

The elected directors oversee the administration and investment of the GSU Defense Fund assets (current market value of $5.2 million) and set policy for payment of strike/lockout pay for union members engaged in collective bargaining disputes. The board meets three or four times a year (or more often, if required) to review the Fund’s financial position, investment strategy and other administrative matters. Most meetings are held via conference call or video technology and paid union leave is arranged for participation in the meetings.

Every GSU member in good standing is eligible to be a candidate for a seat on the Board of Directors, although three seats are reserved for members from GSU Locals 1 (Viterra), 2 (Viterra), 14 (Richardson) or 15 (Nutrien). Union members who represent their Local on GSU’s Joint Executive Council cannot also be a director of the Defense Fund .

Candidates do not have to be delegates to the GSU biennial policy convention where the elections are conducted.

“It is useful to have knowledge of financial markets, but the main criterion to be on the board of directors of the GSU Defense Fund is a commitment to support union members’ welfare and collective bargaining rights when they get into a dispute with their employer,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “Over the years GSU members have built up a sizeable resource to defend their interests, and the responsibility of Defense Fund directors is to ensure the money is managed well so it’s available when needed.”

Would you like to be a director on the Defense Fund Board?

GSU members who want to be candidates for the board of directors of the GSU Defense Fund are asked to notify assistant general secretary Lynn Woods by email to Lynn@gsu.ca.

 

Local 14 (Richardson), Local 15 (Nutrien) board members meet, receive Local updates, elect officers

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GSU Local 14 (Richardson Pioneer) and Local 15 (Nutrien) delegates met separately via Zoom on Feb. 3 to elect the Locals’ representatives to GSU’s Joint Executive Council (board of directors). Reports on Local issues were also given.

In addition, Local 14 delegates had a preliminary discussion about preparing for agreement renewal bargaining this coming autumn and a late summer/early autumn delegates meeting geared to prepare for agreement renewal bargaining with Richardson Pioneer. Members at the Local 14 meeting also received an update on paid sick leave for employees age 65 or older. A decision on that matter is pending.

Congratulations to the following newly elected officers on GSU’s Joint Executive Council:

  • Local 14 (Richardson) Jerid Clark (White City), Justin Shauf (Langenburg).
  • Local 15 (Nutrien) Brian Cowan, Curtis Cousins, Lynn Shaw, David Jones.

Should employers be exempt from giving employees at least 24 hours’ notice of change to their work shifts? A copy of GSU’s submission to government officials is available here.

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A copy of GSU’s submission is available here.

Should employers be exempt from giving employees at least 24 hours’ notice of change to their work shifts? GSU doesn’t think so.

 GSU has submitted a brief opposing exemption of grain handling and milling companies from the application of section 173.1 of Part III of the Canada Labour Code. 

Section 173.1 of the Code requires employers to give employees at least 24 hours’ notice of a change to their work shift. Since the improvement to federal labour standards came into effect in September 2019 the grain industry has been lobbying to be exempted from most of the employee-friendly improvements to the law.

“GSU, along with other unions in federal jurisdiction, has vigorously opposed any exemptions for employers,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “We’ve succeeded in backing the industry off on most of the exemptions they were seeking, but now it’s come down to section 173.1.” 

“Requiring employers to give at least 24 hours’ notice of a shift change is just common decency, “ Wagner said. “Why should workers do all the bending and twisting to make good on the lucrative contracts their employers make with their business partners, such as the railways? It seems that all of the giving is done by the workers and all of the taking is done by their employers.”

GSU’s brief was filed on Feb. 3 with officials of the the Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada which administers the Canada Labour Code. A copy of the brief is available here.

Local 5 (Western Producer), Local 6 (Wild West Steelhead) collective agreements now available online

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You can find these and all GSU agreements by hovering your mouse over the COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS tab in the menu at the top of this page. 

Direct links to these agreements are available here:

The terms of recent tentative agreements have been incorporated in both these draft versions of new collective agreements. Both agreements are being shared with employer representatives for review and signature and, once the agreements have been signed, GSU will make collective agreement booklets for distribution to members.

All GSU agreements are available on our web page. If you have questions about your collective agreement, contact your GSU staff representative.

GSU Defense Fund ends year with new h­­­­igh

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The Defense Fund is an important component of union members’ resources. The primary purposes of the GSU Defense Fund is to ensure and provide for the continued operation of GSU and to provide strike/lockout pay to members of GSU in the event they strike or are locked out.

The market value of GSU Defense Fund investments reached a new high-water mark of $5.2 million at the end of December 2020.

The overwhelming amount of the Fund is invested with RBC Dominion Securities. A cash account with Affinity Credit Union is also maintained to receive dues revenues.

The overall 2020 return on the investments with RBC was 5.36%. US investments far outpaced Canadian investments in 2020 at a 14.01% return compared to 3.54%.

At their most recent meeting in December, the Board of Directors authorized shifting the RBC asset mix from an approximately 60/40 split in favour of fixed income securities to 60/40 in favour of equities.

In March, GSU convention delegates will elect the directors of the GSU Defense Fund for two-year terms of office.

Would you like to be a director on the Defense Fund Board?

Learn more here.

If you are interested in applying or learning more about what the position entails, contact GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner at Hugh@gsu.ca.

Is there something you would like to see GSU doing differently? Submit your recommendation as a resolution to the GSU convention

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GSU’s biennial convention is where important policies, plans, and changes are discussed, debated and implemented. If you have a suggestion or see something you would like implemented or done differently within GSU, let us know. Contact your GSU staff rep and they can assist you in preparing a resolution to submit to convention.

You don’t need to attend convention in order to submit a resolution.

Send your resolutions to us at gsu@gsu.ca.