Author Archives: Grain and General Services Union

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.

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED: Access to personal family leave to attend to emergent situation

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Bitterly cold weather created unanticipated furnace issues for a GSU member.

GSU staff rep Donna Driediger assisted a member who thought they were required to take a vacation day or use banked time off to deal with their furnace when it stopped working overnight. The already stressful situation was made worse when the member realized they had nothing left in their vacation bank and no banked time.

Donna directed the member to Article 13.9 of the Local 1 (Viterra) collective agreement which gives members access to personal family leave to attend to emergent situations requiring their immediate attention. This time is charged to the employee’s sick bank and allows them to prepare a plan or tend to the situation.

The member was obviously relieved to hear that when their furnace died, they were not also going to be out a day’s wages.

“Personal family leave can cover issues that are health related, family related, or anything of an urgent nature that you have to deal with,” Donna advises. “In this case it was a broken furnace. Another example could be learning you had a serious health issue and wanting to attend a session with a nurse practitioner to learn more or receive instructions.”

If you have questions about personal family leave or what may qualify, contact your GSU staff rep. 

Contacting GSU doesn’t mean you are obligated to file a grievance. We will work with you to answer your questions, recommend what course of action is best to follow, and find the solutions that work best for you.

These services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

Local 1 (Viterra) delegates, Local 2 (Viterra Office) executive members meet, approve salary schedule changes, and elect officers

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GSU Local 1 (Viterra Operations/Maintenance) delegates and the Local 2 (Viterra head office) executive committee members have agreed to a proposal from Viterra management to make modest increases to most of the minimums and maximums of the salary structures in the collective agreements covering country operations and maintenance and Regina head office employees.

The increases to the minimum salaries in the Local 1 collective agreement range from 1.17% to 2.46% while the increases to maximums range from zero to 2.51%. In the Local 2 collective agreement, increases to the minimum rates of pay range from 1.06% to 2.16% and increases to the maximum rates of pay range from zero to 2.16%. The changes, effective Jan. 1, 2021, were proposed by Viterra following a market survey conducted by their HR department.

“GSU is not about to say no to improvements to rates of pay no matter how modest, but at the same time we urged Viterra to give every employee a wage increase of at least 2.0% effective January 1,“ said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “It was pointed out to management that the current so-called pay for performance system is grossly unfair and undervalues employees.”

“While making arguments for better pay in this situation, we are also aware that the collective agreement is not open for bargaining until the autumn of 2022,” Wagner said. “An examination of rates of pay shows there is a lot of work to do at the bargaining table and it will take a very strong push by GSU members to get rid of or reform the current pay system at the next round of bargaining.”

When the Local 1 delegates met on Jan.20 to discuss Viterra’s proposals, they also elected Jim Brown (Balgonie) and Gaylyn Kennedy (North Battleford) to be Local 1’s president and vice-president. Glenn Outram (Moose Jaw), Matt Denomie (Kindersley), and David Barrett (Gull Lake) were elected to the Local 1 executive committee.

GSU Local 2’s executive committee is comprised of Sheila Tran, Howard Wilson and Kaylee Kruger. They met and approved the changes to the salary ranges on Jan. 22.

If you have questions, contact your GSU staff representative.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: New hire gets higher rate of pay than those already working in the position

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GSU staff rep Dale Markling is assisting GSU members who filed grievances after a new employee was hired into the same position as the grievors, but at a higher rate of pay than existing employees at the location.

If you have a question about a workplace issue, call GSU

Contacting GSU doesn’t mean you are obligated to file a grievance. We will work with you to answer your questions, recommend what course of action is best to follow, and find the solutions that work for you.

These services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

Local 6 (Wild West Steelhead) members vote to accept memorandum of settlement

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Monday evening’s stormy weather made the journey to vote difficult, but Local 6 members came out in force to cast their ballots and ultimately vote to accept the terms of the Jan. 12 memorandum of settlement.

GSU staff rep Dale Markling has notified the employer of the results of the vote and he is preparing the new collective agreement booklet for distribution to members.

Thank you to bargaining committee members Amber Pearson, Pasha Mughal, Amanda Pearson, and Dale Markling for their hard work in reaching a settlement with the employer.

Get the health care you need without leaving home

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A trip to the doctor just got easier. You can see a doctor virtually from the comfort of your home.

Lumeca’s Saskatchewan-based care providers are licensed to practice family and emergency medicine, and they are trained to assist you by video or over the phone. This service is free to Saskatchewan residents who have a valid Saskatchewan Health Card and are currently located in the province.

Doctors and Care Coordinators will assess your concerns, help out with follow-up questions, online prescription refills, or even just navigating the health care system. While Lumeca doctors are licensed to practice emergency care, the system isn’t set up to assist with medical emergencies. In the event of a medical emergency you need to call 911.

Learn more by visiting Lumeca.com

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.

Local 8 (Advance): Local 8 (AEA/Advance) bargaining committee serves Notice of Impasse

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A copy of Local 8’s bargaining proposals is available here.

GSU Local 8 bargaining committee members are Doug Murray, Steve Holliday, Dion Elliott, Doug Kampman and spokesperson Hugh Wagner.

TMM – Dec. 21, 2021

Bargaining grinds to a halt, Local 8 (Advance) bargaining committee serves Notice of Impasse

Agreement renewal bargaining between AEA/GSU Local 8 and Advance Tank Production Ltd. /Advance Tank Centre Ltd. is headed to conciliation as the union has served notice of a bargaining impasse.

The notice of impasse was sent on behalf of AEA/GSU Local 8 to Saskatchewan’s Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety on Jan. 14. It is anticipated the Minister will appoint a conciliation officer who will have 60 days to meet with the union and company bargaining committees in an effort to settle the bargaining impasse.

If the 60-day conciliation process doesn’t produce a settlement, and the conciliator reports out of the process, the parties enter a further seven- to 14-day cooling-off period following which strike or lockout action can legally occur.

Updates will be shared as they are available.

TMM – Dec. 21, 2021

Continue bargaining or declare impasse? Local 8 (Advance) committee to meet management committee in early January

AEA/GSU Local 8’s bargaining committee met with their counterparts from Advance Tank Production/Tank Centres Ltd on Dec. 16 as both sides presented revised positions on unresolved issues.

“While we can see a path forward in relation to most of the issues under consideration, there is a significant gap on the matter of wage increases as the union committee continues to propose across-the-board increases of five percent per year compared to the employer’s current position of 1.25 percent per year,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner.

“While the parties agree that a three-year agreement is on the table, we differ on retroactivity with respect to wage increases,” Wagner said. “The union committee is proposing that the first year increase should be retroactive to Nov. 1, 2021 while the employer proposes the first year increase take effect on the first day of the next pay period following ratification of a settlement by union members.”

When the Dec. 16 bargaining meeting ended, the two sides agreed to touch base in the first week of the new year to determine whether there is merit in meeting again, or whether the bargaining is at an impasse and will enter the conciliation process provided in the Saskatchewan Employment Act.

“With the support of members, the union committee is determined to press for wage increases that reflect and protect against the rising cost of living,” said Wagner.

An update will be released following consultations with the employer in the first week of January.

 

TMM – Nov. 2, 2021

Local 8 (Advance) bargaining resumes Nov. 5 in Regina

Agreement renewal bargaining between AEA/GSU Local 8 and Advance Manufacturing/Trailer Centres will resume Friday [Nov. 5] when union and employer representatives return to address the substance of bargaining issues.

The parties held their initial meeting on Oct. 20 when they exchanged bargaining proposals. The collective agreement with Advance expired on Oct. 31, 2021.

TMM – Oct. 26, 2021

Agreement renewal bargaining between AEA/GSU Local 8 and Advance Manufacturing/Trailer Centres will resume on Oct. 28 when union and employer representatives meet to get into the substance of bargaining issues.

The parties held their initial meeting on Oct. 20 when they exchanged bargaining proposals. The collective agreement with Advance expires on Oct. 31, 2021.

More reports will be released as bargaining proceeds.

GSU Local 8 (Advance) bargaining begins

TMM – Oct. 19, 2021

Agreement renewal bargaining between AEA/GSU Local 8 and Advance Manufacturing/Trailer Centres begins tomorrow in Regina. The meeting will focus on an exchange of bargaining proposals and initial dialogue around the various issues raised.

The collective agreement with Advance expires on Oct. 31, 2021.
The primary subjects in Local 8’s bargaining proposals are wage increases and wage-related issues. Local 8’s bargaining proposals will be posted on GSU’s website once the bargaining process gets underway and bargaining reports will be released as the process unfolds.

GSU Local 8 bargaining committee members are Doug Murray, Steve Holliday, Dion Elliott, Doug Kampman and spokesperson Hugh Wagner.

Severance pay in the event of an employee’s death

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GSU’s collective agreements with several employers including Nutrien, Richardson Pioneer and Viterra have position elimination articles providing income protection measures to employees who find themselves without a job as a result of their position being eliminated.

There might be subtle differences in the language of each collective agreement, but one thing all have in common is the ability of affected employees to defer employment termination and receipt of severance pay for six months after the initial 120-day notice of position elimination.

Recently a GSU member in Local 2 (Viterra Regina Head Office) received a notice of job elimination and asked whether severance pay was guaranteed to be paid to the employee’s beneficiary or estate in the event of death during the six-month deferral of employment termination and severance pay.

GSU wrote to Viterra management on the union member’s behalf to confirm payment of severance pay to the beneficiary or estate of an employee who has received notice of position elimination and happens to pass away while on a six-month deferral of their employment termination date.

In response to GSU’s inquiry, Viterra confirmed that in this type of circumstance payment of deferred severance pay will be made to a deceased employee’s beneficiary or estate.

In the meantime, GSU has written to Nutrien and Richardson Pioneer to confirm the same guarantee.

Need advice? Call GSU

Contacting GSU doesn’t mean you are obligated to file a grievance. We will work with you to find answers to your questions, recommend what course of action is best to follow, and work with you to find the solutions that work for you.

These services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

Local 5 (Western Producer) members vote to accept tentative settlement

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On Jan. 5, the members of GSU Local 5 (Western Producer Publications) voted to accept the terms of the memorandum of settlement that was reached shortly before Christmas.

The settlement provides for salary increases of 1%, 1%, and 1.25% in the first, second and third years of the collective agreement, respectively. The bargaining committee acknowledges the increases are slightly below the cost of living.

“This has been a tough set of negotiations with the print industry hurting and COVID-19 hitting on top of that,” said Sharlene Tetrault, union bargaining committee member and president of GSU Local 5. “Our preference would have been higher salary increases, but we were able to convince the company that their most regressive proposals for new employees were not going to be accepted by our membership.”

“I’m proud of the way my fellow members stood together for future members. We were able to reach a settlement both parties could live with in the end, and we look forward to seeing the Company implement changes discussed at the table.”

Work is underway to incorporate the terms of the memorandum of settlement into the new collective agreement and have it reviewed and signed by union and company representatives. Agreement booklets will then be printed and distributed to Local 5 members.

GSU Local 5 bargaining committee members are Sharlene Tetrault, Michelle Houlden, and GSU staff rep Dale Markling.