Author Archives: Grain and General Services Union

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.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: Members are challenging their rates of pay

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GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner is  working with members who have challenged their rates of pay and are seeking to have same raised. 

Do you have a concern about a workplace issue or questions about 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.

 

It’s time for a social media spring cleaning

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Like it or not, your social media platforms are telling everyone they reach a story about you.  In an age where employers are more interested in reviewing your social media presence than your resume, it’s important to ensure your social accounts are painting a positive picture. 

According to CareerBuilder, the top  pieces of social media content that turn off employers are:

  • provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information, 
  • information about drinking or using drugs, 
  • discriminatory comments related to race, religion, gender, etc., 
  • those who bad-mouth previous employers or co-workers, and
  • a lack of good communication skills.
What will new acquaintances and potential employers surmise about you when they peruse your pages?

If you think it might be time for a social media overhaul, learn more here :  10 Easy Ways to Clean Up And Curate Your Social Media.

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.

Interest-Based Negotiations: Proposals don’t always reflect concerns of the members who put them forward

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GSU staff representatives Dale Markling and Steve Torgerson attended the Interest-Based Negotiations Workshop presented by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on April 18-20. 

 

BY STEVE TORGERSON, GSU staff rep

Dale Markling and I recently attended an Interest-Based Negotiations Workshop presented by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Simply put, interest-based negotiations aim to get to the root issue of a problem and then figure out a solution that is beneficial to both parties.

“We need a 5% pay increase in each year of the agreement.” “I think we need double-time overtime for all overtime hours worked.” We hear ideas and proposals like these each time a GSU bargaining unit prepares to enter into negotiations. These are legitimate proposals union members want to be included in their collective agreement, but sometimes proposals don’t actually reflect the concerns of the members putting them forward. For example, perhaps the issue is that members are not feeling valued and respected in the workplace, and so they seek more money to ‘make it right’, or they are tired of working overtime on a weekly basis and want more overtime pay in compensation. In these examples, the underlying issue is respect in the workplace or for work-family balance. 

Traditional (adversarial) collective bargaining is more proposal-based negotiation with both sides coming in with a list of demands and presenting them.  In theory, interest-based negotiation is a more collaborative process with union and company representatives working through the issues to find solutions. These are two very different and styles of negotiating, and while interest-based negotiations don’t work in all circumstances, there is much to learn from this approach. 

The workshop explored how unconscious decisions can be detrimental to effective communication. For example, how easy it is to forget what your goals are and look to punish the other side when you feel you have been slighted or disrespected. The workshop also showed how much can be achieved if there is trust and mutual respect between the employees and the employer.

I took away a number of ideas that I will attempt to put into practice. In addition, new ideas were collected for the education and information of GSU members.

 

There are many opportunities for union education. Contact your GSU staff rep to learn more about what we have to offer.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: Members under constant pressure to make themselves available “in case” car loading becomes necessary during time off shift, weekends.

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Members at Country Elevator locations are under constant pressure to make themselves available “in case” car loading becomes necessary during time off shift or on weekends.  This can result in working excessive hours on days off, or being unable to do the things you want and need to do with family and friends.

The Company does not own your time while you are away from work. You are not obligated to “hang around” in case the cars show up. Your time off is yours and you are not required to put your life on hold just in case the railway decides to spot cars. 

GSU has bargained provisions to help ensure you get the time you deserve and are entitled to. Check your Local agreement or contact your GSU staff rep for the provisions that apply to you.

  • The first provision is stand by pay. Employees who are required to “stand by” and be ready to report for work must be paid 1.5 hours for each eight hour period or part thereof that they are required to stand by.  If your days off are Tuesday and Wednesday, and you are told on Monday at the end of your shift to “stand by” then you are credited with 1.5 hours worked for each eight hour period or part thereof for the entire time you remain on call. If you are not on call, you don’t have to answer the phone.
  • The second provision is the rule regarding maximum hours of overtime required. Employees are  not required to work more than 12 hours in any one shift, nor more than 8 hours of overtime in a one week period. The week starts at 12:01 am on Sunday morning, and ends at 11:59 pm on Saturday night. If you work 12 hour or 13.3 hour regular shifts, you are not required to work after your shift. On 8 hour shifts you have the right to go home after 12 hours. No one has to work more than eight hours of overtime in a week. 

Your health, safety, and family time are at stake.

Do you have questions about your collective agreement or an issue in your workplace?

Don’t be shy! Contact your GSU staff rep. Their services are provided to you as part of your union dues and there is no additional charge for assisting you. Your inquiry will be treated with strict confidentiality.

Hot-desking: Could you share your desk with your co-workers?

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More employees are working away from the office at clients’ workplaces, hotels, coffee shops, and other remote locations, leaving expensive office space unoccupied. A potential solution and cost-saving measure? Hot-desking. 

In a step away from assigned seating and empty workstations, hot-desking allows employees to report for work, choose an available workspace that meets their needs for the day, and set up shop. Depending on the workplace, employees can choose a quiet corner to work alone or a bench desk to collaborate with others. 

Learn more about The pros and cons of hot-desking here .

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.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: we are monitoring a worrying trend regarding health and safety issues

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GSU staff reps are monitoring a potentially worrying trend regarding health and safety issues and an employer who seems to have chosen a disciplinary path to compliance with safety rules. 

“You can’t have a rigid policy for every conceivable task being performed,” said GSU staff rep Lawrence Maier. “The pressure to increase production and constantly assigning duties that are beyond an employee’s job description and training makes the workplace more dangerous. Punishing workers for an accident only does one thing: it makes them reluctant to report accidents for fear of reprisal.”

Always make sure you are trained to do the task at hand. 

Never let pressure to get the job done lead to cutting corners. Bring up safety concerns at your safety meetings, and if they aren’t addressed, report it. You have the right to refuse to do work that you think may be imminently dangerous to your health and safety. Don’t let pressure to “get the job done” lead to an injury that could change your life.

No question or problem is too small to discuss with a GSU staff rep.

The role of a staff rep is to help union members and we are here to assist you in any way we can. Don’t hesitate to contact your GSU staff rep when you need clarification, interpretation, or assistance.

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.