If you are driving a company vehicle, you can and should expect to be held accountable for your usage. And if the company needs to use it against you, they will.

GSU staff rep Steve Torgerson is assisting a member who is being questioned on their use of a company vehicle.

“When companies have GPS on a vehicle, it’s very thorough,” Torgerson cautioned. “It can record your path, speed, length, and the duration of any stop you make and more, so use the company vehicle only for company business and don’t be surprised if you are questioned on any detour you take.”

Long story short: If you don’t have the permission of your superior to go somewhere, don’t go.

If you have questions or concerns about driving a company vehicle or other employment concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

If you need some advice about how to approach management with a problem, don’t hesitate to call your GSU staff rep. No problem is too small and 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.

As the Delta variant has become the predominant strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, the debate about vaccination has shifted. It is now pretty clear that proof of two-shot vaccination is starting to be adopted in various places and jurisdictions as a precondition to engaging in a growing list of activities. This is no less the case in workplaces, particularly those falling under federal jurisdiction, as large employers such as Canada’s major banks have announced workplace entry vaccination policies applicable to their employees.

“I fully expect the vaccination issue to come up in relation to workers represented by GSU; especially since about 60 percent of members of the union fall under federal jurisdiction,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “We are consulting with GSU’s legal counsel and monitoring the evolving debate.”

Wagner reports that a preliminary meeting on vaccination policy has already been set with one major employer. He adds that when GSU’s Joint Executive Council (board of directors) meets on Sept. 24 it will likely discuss whether the union should have a policy on vaccination and the workplace.

“Even if GSU adopts an overall policy, each bargaining unit of the union has significant autonomy to determine their own position on workplace issues in their Local, including the response to mandatory two-shot vaccination as a pre-condition to going to work,” Wagner said. “Add the duty of fair representation to the equation and the issue becomes even more complex.”

More reports and coverage of this issue will be carried her and on GSU’s web page as the situation unfolds.

If you need some advice about how to approach management with a problem, don’t hesitate to call your GSU staff rep. No problem is too small and 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.

GSU contacts employers regarding National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

GSU has written to all of the employers of members of the union to ascertain whether they intend to adopt Sept. 30 as a statutory holiday to be known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. So far three federally regulated employers have confirmed that they will be honouring the new statutory holiday and applying it to their employees. Two provincially regulated employers have advised that they will not be adopting the new statutory holiday and several others have said they are studying the matter.

“In Canada we have a mix of federally and provincially regulated employers and sectors. It would be nice to have a single progressive set of labour standards, but such is the nature of Canada,” Wagner said. “We’ll keep pushing.”

Wagner urges province to adopt the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

In a meeting of the advisory committee to the Saskatchewan Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner urged the province to follow the lead of the federal government and adopt Sept. 30 as a statutory holiday called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“I think such a day and the time for conversation and reflection with our Indigenous sisters and brothers is long overdue, so I urged the Minister to impress upon his colleagues the importance of taking clear steps to begin the work we all have to do,” said Wagner. “A commemorative day is a small, but important step.”

If you need some advice about how to approach management with a problem, don’t hesitate to call your GSU staff rep. No problem is too small and 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.

Staff rep Steve Torgerson is guiding a member through questions and the process of filing a WCB claim.

“We can assist with Workers’ Compensation Board appeals and other problems with claims,” Torgerson said. “Members should always feel free to call us when they have a question or concern, and that includes asking simple questions, too. There really is no problem that is too small to ask about.”

Call us toll-free at 1.866.522.6686 or 1.855.384.7314. Our services are provided to you as part of your union dues and there is never an additional charge for assisting you.

If you need some advice about how to approach management with a problem, don’t hesitate to call your GSU staff rep. No problem is too small and 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.

Summer is here and it’s vacation season for those who love to be out in the heat and sunshine. As is the case every year, GSU is hearing from members who are having problems booking or receiving their requested vacation time.

“Confirmation of your vacation approval is important,” said GSU staff representative Steve Torgerson. “Don’t just assume your leave is approved. If you haven’t heard back from your supervisor, be sure to follow up and seek approval – even if that means sending an email reiterating confirmation of your vacation request or saying unless you hear otherwise you will assume it’s okay to take the requested time off.”

If you are having problems with your vacation request, contact us toll-free. We’d be happy to help you.

If you need some advice about how to approach management with a problem, don’t hesitate to call your GSU staff rep. No problem is too small and 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.