Author Archives: Grain and General Services Union

Federal government repeals controversial anti-union legislation

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Canada’s unions are celebrating the June 14, 2017 adoption of Bill C-4, legislation that repeals the former federal government’s controversial anti-union Bills C-377 and C-525.

Bill C-377 would have seen unions, their suppliers, and other businesses they work with spend millions of dollars and thousands of hours producing and processing expense reports to be reviewed and filed – all at taxpayer expense.

Bill C-525 would have made it more difficult for workers in federally-regulated workplaces to join a union.

“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau then promised that, if elected, he would repeal these bills and we are happy he has kept that promise,” said Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff. “By passing Bill C-4, the federal government has demonstrated it understands the importance of fair labour relations, and the critical role unions play advancing rights for all Canadian workers.” 

More information is available here.

General Secretary Hugh Wagner’s letter to the editor: Farm workers and Alberta Bill 17 – The Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act

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The government of Alberta’s efforts under Bill 17 – Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act seek to modernize labour legislation in the province and extend it to corporate farm operations. Small family farms will be exempt from coverage by Bill 17.

GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner recently wrote to the The Western Producer to comment on the efforts by the government. His letter was published and you can read it here:

General Secretary Hugh Wagner’s letter to the Editor – June 8, 2017 – The Western Producer

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED: Do you know what conditions will apply when taking unused vacation immediately adjacent to retirement or other employment termination?

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In December 2016 a long-service Local 1 (Viterra – Operations) member contacted GSU staff rep Dale Markling upon discovering his employment had been terminated when he decided to burn up a few days’ vacation immediately before retiring. The union member had told his boss about his intention to retire effective December 31, 2016, and when the date approached he arranged to be on vacation for the last few days. Even though he was on vacation, he still responded to work related calls.

The problem came to light when the member received his last pay stub. He discovered that Viterra considered his employment terminated as of his last day at work and his benefit coverage was discontinued. In addition, the member was not paid for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. He was surprised and unhappy.

When staff rep Dale Markling and general secretary Hugh Wagner raised the issue with Viterra management they were informed that employment termination in this type of situation was Company policy at least since mid-2008. Apparently Viterra had decided not to allow employees to use vacation as a bridge to retirement or other terminations of employment. GSU had no prior knowledge and had never been informed of this policy by Viterra. 

An executive grievance was filed on behalf of members in Locals 1 and 2. After several grievance meetings, the grievance was resolved on May 12. Viterra agreed to pay the member who had raised the issue for two general/statutory holidays and also agreed that nothing shall alter an employee’s status as an employee of the Company in instances where the employee takes vacation by mutual agreement and/or with the approval of her/his superior.

Even though this matter has been resolved for members of GSU Locals 1 and 2, we encourage all members regardless of their employer, including Viterra, to make absolutely sure what conditions apply when deciding to take unused vacation immediately adjacent to and leading into retirement or other employment termination. 

If you would like assistance, call a GSU rep.

Staff rep services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you. Contact information for GSU staff reps is available here. 

Ontario moves to ban employers from demanding sick notes

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There is a certain irony in being too sick to be at work but sitting in the doctor’s office waiting to request a sick note.

An Ontario physician believes the proposed labour legislation banning Ontario employers from demanding sick notes when employees take time off from work will help contain illnesses and free up valuable appointment time with doctors.

Learn more here:  Ending sick note requirements best for healthcare system, says doctor.

SaskForward releases video challenging budget cuts

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SaskForward, a coalition of Saskatchewan-based civil society groups, has released a new video that challenges the Saskatchewan government’s claim that deep cuts to public services and programs are inevitable. By reversing the 1% corporate tax cut announced in the last budget, the video shows that $67.5 million could be recuperated and used to restore funding to many services and programs including the STC, a variety of post-secondary education programs, funeral services, parks, the hearing aid plan and much more.

In the winter of 2017, SaskForward heard from over 100 individuals and organizations as part of its consultations on the Saskatchewan government’s promised ‘transformational change’. In these consultations, groups proposed numerous ideas that could reshape public services through new investments while avoiding austerity budgets that harm the most vulnerable in our province. The new video exposes the government’s deliberate decision to increase the profits of corporations at the expense of the services and programs that Saskatchewan residents cherish.

Peter Gilmer, of the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry, a participating organization in SaskForward, is enthusiastic about the message in the video.  “It is encouraging to know that we could maintain so many needed benefits and services for Saskatchewan people by simply reversing the 1% corporate tax cut. I believe that such a return would be in line with the values of the vast majority of Saskatchewan residents” he says.

The video can be viewed online at:

For more information about SaskForward see: https://saskforward.ca/

Media Contact:
Peter Gilmer
306-550-8949
rapm@sasktel.net

Personal space: how close is too close?

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You may not have an exact measurement for the physical distance you prefer between you and those around you, but you are certainly aware when that space becomes violated.

A number of factors determine an acceptable amount of personal space, such as the genders of those involved, the relationship, and the venue – and there are certainly times when it is never okay to get too close.

Learn more here:  Etiquette rules of defining personal space .

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.

GSU’s 2017 scholarship applications are now in the hands of our scholarship committee

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Thank you to everyone who submitted a GSU scholarship application.

The scholarship applications have been compiled, copied, and sent to our scholarship committee members Jim Brown (Local 1 – Viterra), Michelle Houlden (Local 5 – Western Producer), and Brett North (Local 1 – Viterra).

The committee will meet to review the applications, deliberate the merits of recipients’ letters of recommendation, their community involvement and essays before announcing this year’s scholarship recipients in early July. 

Five $2,000-scholarships are available to students who demonstrate an ability and a passion to inspire positive change in their community.  GSU members and their immediate families were eligible to apply. 

Detailed scholarship information is available from committee members and on GSU’s web page: www.gsu.ca .

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED: correct interpretation of sick leave policy

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A GSU member was fairly certain he had correctly interpreted his employer’s policy on sick leave, but he called staff rep Steve Torgerson to make sure.

Sorting out sick leave, doctors’ notes, and the timeline when the health provider gets involved can be confusing. If you need help or if you simply want to confirm that your interpretation of company policy or your collective agreement is correct, don’t hesitate to call us. 

Do you have a question about sick leave? 

Contact your GSU staff rep. Their services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

 

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED: extra duties

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GSU staff rep Steve Torgerson assisted a member who was being paid to take on extra duties. The member had no issues with taking on the majority of newly assigned tasks, but decided to call the union office for advice when they became concerned some of the duties may be beyond the scope of their job position. 

Do you have a question about a workplace issue or your collective agreement? 

Contact your GSU staff rep. Their services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

 

Glencore confirms interest, takeover pitch for U.S. grain trader Bunge Ltd.

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A Glencore takeover of Bunge would make Glencore a major player in the agricultural market and break dominance of the industry by Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., Bunge, Cargill Inc. and Louis Dreyfus Co.

Learn more here: 

 

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED: member’s question leads to a collective agreement interpretation, benefits other Local members

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A member’s question ultimately led to a collective agreement interpretation which benefits other members of the Local.

In 2016 a Local 1 member working for Viterra contacted GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner with a question which brought to light a grey area in the collective agreement.

The member was inquiring whether travel to grader training was considered work time. In this particular instance the member traveled several hours on Sundays to attend grader training in Saskatoon.

Wagner raised the issue with Viterra management and subsequently submitted an executive grievance on behalf of the union seeking payment for travel time outside members’ normal hours of work. The grievance wound its way through the grievance procedure and was put on hold for quite some time at management’s request while they reviewed policies and procedures.

On May 12, 2017, settlement of the grievance was finally achieved and confirmed. The grievance settlement is as follows:

  1. When an employee is required to attend mandatory training, the time spent travelling to and from the training outside of her/his normal working hours will be considered work time and will be paid.
     
  2. When an employee attends training opportunities on her/his own volition the time spent traveling to and from such training outside her/his normal working hours will not be considered work time.

“Needless to say, a lot will depend on the circumstances and facts of any situation where a member is traveling to attend training outside normal working hours, and I encourage union members who are unsure about their particular situation to contact a GSU staff rep,” said GSU general secretary Wagner. “This grievance settlement provides a good framework for resolving problems and it came about thanks to one GSU member who contacted us with a question.” 

Do you have a question about a workplace issue or your collective agreement? Contact your GSU staff rep. Their services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

 

Jade Dulle is riding her bike 1,300 kms across Saskatchewan for mental health

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Learn more about the ride and how to donate here.

Today (May 23, 2017) a young woman and past Saskatchewan Federation of Labour camper, Jade Dulle, starts a 1,300 kilometre bike ride across-Saskatchewan to raise awareness for Mental Health.

Grain and General Services Union has made a $1,000 donation to Jade’s Ride for Mental Health. If you are interested in background information on Jade’s ride or you would like to help her raise money for Mental Health, you can learn more here: Jade’s Ride of Mental Health.

You can also visit Jade’s Facebook page to watch the videos and view her live feed at: Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/www.jadesride.ca

 

Changing vacation leave to sick leave: can it be done?

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A member became sick while on vacation and contacted the union to ask if the collective agreement had any provision for changing vacation leave to sick leave. 

GSU staff rep Steve Torgerson advised that once you are on vacation it can’t be changed to sick leave, but there could be a bit of a grey area in some instances before vacation begins – such as an emergency surgery.   

Do you have a question about a workplace issue or your collective agreement? 

Contact your GSU staff rep. Their services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

JUNE 1 DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING: GSU is offering five $2,000 scholarships to GSU members, spouses, and dependants

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GSU is pleased to offer $2,000 scholarships to five students who demonstrate an ability and a passion to inspire positive change in their community.

Scholarships are available to all GSU members and their immediate families – including spouses – who are enrolled in a diploma, degree, or certificate program at a community college, university, trade school, or technical institute as a full-time student in any country. Deadline for receipt of applications is June 1, 2017.

Detailed information is available here.

GSU members: did you know you can view your collective agreement online?

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You can access, view and print a copy of your collective agreement using the Collective Agreement tab in the menu bar, above.

What is a collective agreement?

Your collective agreement is a contract that describes the terms and conditions of employment for employees in your workplace, including the rights of employees and the obligations of the employer. 

Every GSU member has a collective agreement. A copy of your collective agreement is available under the collective agreements tab on GSU’s web page at www.gsu.ca.

Answers to many employment-related questions can be found in your collective agreement

Salary and benefits are among the most obvious and important matters described in your collective agreement.

Collective agreements usually include clauses on working conditions such as hours of work and overtime, leave of absence provisions, vacations, general holidays, seniority, transfers, resignation, termination, protection against arbitrary disciplinary action, access to your personnel file, and much more.

Don’t be shy! Contact your GSU staff rep with any questions you have about your collective agreement or problems in the workplace

Don’t hesitate to contact an elected officer or your GSU staff rep if you need assistance with a workplace problem or if you would like help interpreting your collective agreement. 

Staff reps can be reached toll-free at 1.866.522.6686 (Regina) or 1.855.384.7314 (Saskatoon). Additional contact information is available here.