Author Archives: Grain and General Services Union

April 7, 2021 is the day the average Canadian female worker’s earnings since Jan. 1, 2020 match their male co-worker’s earnings for the 2020 calendar year

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It’s finally here. April 7 is Equal Pay Day in Canada

 April 7, 2021 is the day the average Canadian female worker’s earnings since Jan. 1, 2020 match their male co-worker’s earnings for the 2020 calendar year. You read that correctly. On average, it takes Canadian women an extra three months and seven days to earn what the average Canadian male made in a year doing similar work.

The numbers don’t lie, and they are appalling.

Today – in 2021 – women overall make 75¢ for every dollar made by men. That gap is even wider for women who fall into the marginalized groups.

According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation,  the following is how, on average, different women fare compared to white men born in Canada:

  • Indigenous women make $0.65 for every dollar,
  • women living with a disability earn $0.54,
  • racialized women make $0.67, and
  • women who are new to Canada make $0.71 compared to men who are also new to Canada.

Wage discrimination is real. 
Equal work deserves equal pay. 
It’s common sense.

GSU’s Joint Executive Council has released its 2020/2021 report to members

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The 2020/2021 Annual Report to GSU members by the union’s Joint Executive Council (board of directors) is available to be read and downloaded.

The Annual Report contains important information for GSU members about the business of your union, including the 2020 audited financial statements. 

“GSU prides itself on practicing democracy and transparent administration on behalf of the union’s members,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner.

Members can receive a hard copy of the Annual Report by contacting GSU at 1.866.522.6686 or by sending an email to gsu@gsu.ca .

If you have questions, comments or concerns about this report, don’t hesitate to contact a Joint Executive Council member
or your GSU staff representative.

Understanding aggregate salary increases at Viterra and Nutrien

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By GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner

Around this time each year, GSU receives numerous contacts from union members working for Nutrien and Viterra complaining that they received a salary increase that is lower than the X percent aggregate salary increase referred to in the collective agreements with their employer. 

While employees are justifiably upset that their salary increases are too low, it is important to remember that the collective agreements with Nutrien and Viterra refer to aggregate  salary increases of X percent.  

What this means is that the overall total salary increase must be the agreed upon percentage of payroll, but it does not mean that each individual employee will receive a salary increase equal to that percentage figure.

For example:

Imagine a work unit in which there are two employees and the employees in the unit are promised an aggregate salary increase of 2 percent. In this example employee “A” receives a salary increase of 3 percent and employee “B” receives a salary increase of 1 percent. While each employee received a salary increase different than 2 percent, the aggregate salary increase of the two-employee unit in this example is 2 percent (i.e. 3 + 1 divided by 2 = 2%).

This is one of the numerous bad features of the so-called pay for performance system that came as a plague on Viterra employees in 2008 and was adopted by Nutrien in 2013. GSU’s leadership vigorously warned about this negative feature of Viterra’s bargaining proposals and final offer at the time of the 2008 collective bargaining dispute and strike at Viterra.

In the absence of sufficient support to maintain the strike action commenced by Local 2 members of Viterra’s Regina head office, and a handful of Local 1 Viterra Operations and Maintenance members, GSU was not able to block the incursion of the so-called pay for performance pay system and its aggregate salary increase. Since then, GSU has proposed to end the unfair system whenever bargaining with Nutrien and Viterra, but so far we’ve not succeeded.

One day we will reform this broken pay system, but only if union members band together and make it a priority they are prepared to fight for, even if that means walking the picket line until the job is done.

The Saskatchewan government introduced a three-hour leave for employees to get COVID-19 vaccination

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The Government of Saskatchewan announced that effective March 18, 2021, workers are entitled to three consecutive hours leave during work hours  to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Workers do not lose any pay or other benefits while receiving their first COVID-19 vaccination.

Contact your GSU staff rep if you are experiencing difficulty receiving time off work to get your vaccination.

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.