Simon Enoch (Director of the Saskatchewan Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives) assesses the province’s 2017-2018 provincial budget:
Saskatchewan’s Cruel and Unusual Budget
http://behindthenumbers.ca/2017/03/23/saskatchewans-cruel-unusual-budget/
Recently two employees from different parts of CPS’s unionized operations in Saskatchewan approached GSU in connection with their rates of pay. Each of the employees had transferred into GSU membership from employment with CPS outside the scope of the GSU bargaining unit. Both employees discovered that they were being paid an annual salary considerably lower than co-workers in the same job classification or pay grade.
Although the facts of each situation are quite different, it appears that each of the employees has a sound claim to upward adjustment of their rate of pay. The two complaints have been taken up with CPS’s HR Manager and are being worked on by GSU general secretary, Hugh Wagner.
Your GSU staff reps are here to assist you in any way they can.
Don’t hesitate to call us with your work-related questions and concerns. Staff reps can be reached toll-free at 1.866.522.6686 (Regina) or 1.855.384.7314 (Saskatoon) or through additional contact information available here.
March 21 is the international day for the elimination of racial discrimination and it is the perfect time to make a personal commitment to do your part to eliminate racism.
What can you do? Check out these simple ways to make a big difference in the fight against racism.
On March 15, Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) representatives were at the Saskatchewan legislature to witness the introduction of a private member’s bill that would see necessary supports put into place for victims of domestic violence.
“The SFL has worked a long time with community organizations and the national labour movement to fight for more supports for victims of domestic violence in the workplace,” said Lori Johb, Secretary-Treasurer of the SFL and Chair of the SFL’s Women’s Committee, “we hope the provincial government will agree to pass Bill 603 – An Act to Provide Critical Supports for Victims of Domestic Violence,” she added.
If passed, the bill will allow victims of domestic violence to take paid and unpaid leave from work. Such leave can be taken to seek medical attention for the victim or their child, to obtain services from a victim services organization, to obtain counselling, to relocate, and to seek legal or law enforcement assistance.
The bill requires accommodation by employers to protect workers if an employer becomes aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, that domestic violence that would likely expose a worker to physical injury may occur in a workplace.
Bill 603 also allows the termination of tenancy – breaking leases – for victims of domestic violence that believe their safety, or the safety of their child, is at risk.
“These additional supports are so desperately needed for victims of domestic violence in Saskatchewan,” said Johb, “if passed, Saskatchewan will become a leader in Canada on this important topic,” she added.
Saskatchewan has the highest rates of domestic violence by intimate partners amongst all Canadian provinces, and victims of domestic violence are often forced to leave their homes quickly to escape dangerous situations. Furthermore, financial stability and a supportive work environment are vital for a victim of domestic violence.
Legislation that supports victims escaping circumstances of domestic violence has already been enacted in Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta.
Certain sounds that are simple background noise to you may trigger anxiety, insomnia, feelings of rage/fear, and even depression in others.
Misophonia is defined as the hatred of sound, but you don’t need to hate all sounds to suffer from this sound-sensitivity syndrome. The most common triggers of misophonia are background noises encountered in daily life, making them difficult or impossible to avoid. And ignoring or simply tuning-out an irritating sound is not an option for those with misophonia.
While misophonia isn’t considered a psychiatric condition, psychiatrists can prescribe medication to treat those who suffer.
You can learn more about misophonia and common trigger noises using the link below, but be warned: some people with misophonia find that reading a list of triggers can actually create new triggers.
Learn more here: The Symptoms & Triggers of Misophonia
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 staff rep Steve Torgerson assisted a GSU employee who was expecting a child. The member had a number of questions about maternity leave, paternity leave, and how the leave could be divided between the member and his partner.
Do you have a question about maternity leave, paternity leave, or other situations where you require a leave from work? Contact your GSU staff representative.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2017
RALLY FOR SASKATCHEWAN SHOWS HUGE SUPPORT FOR CROWNS AND INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SERVICES
People from across the province came together to Rally for Saskatchewan – and say NO to the Sask. Party government’s cuts and sell-offs of our Crown corporations.
“The Rally for Saskatchewan is a tremendous show of opposition to the Sask. Party government’s public service cuts, layoffs, and privatization agenda,” said Larry Hubich, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL).
Saskatchewan people, community groups, and the labour movement all came together to show a unified voice in response to the Sask. Party government’s attacks on workers, services, and Crowns. People travelled to the rally by bus from: the Battlefords, Prince Albert, Melville, Melfort, Tisdale, Yorkton, Weyburn, Estevan, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, and Saskatoon.
Speakers at the rally spoke from a variety of perspectives, all of which highlighted the impact on real people that the Sask. Party government’s plans have.
Bob Bymoen, president, SGEU:
“Attacking public services, and the frontline workers who deliver them, is not the answer to our economic problems,” says SGEU President Bob Bymoen. “We need better management at the top, and that should start with an independent review of all third party contracts with consultants, private contractors and P3 consortiums, to assess the real cost, and value of the money government has been spending.”
Barbara Cape, president, SEIU-West:
“The people of this province built the public services we enjoy today – we all know that the growing deficit of over a billion dollars is not because of public sector workers – it’s because of a resource boom that went flat,” said Barbara Cape, president of SEIU-West. “Saskatchewan people know the boom/bust cycle – we also know the true test of good government is how you manage the bad times.”
Tom Graham, president, CUPE Saskatchewan:
“It is important that the Sask. Party government knows that people have grave concerns about their reckless spending – not to mention their blatant disregard for public services and working people,” said Tom Graham. “The people of this province deserve world class health care, education, and social services, and a government that will in invest in the people who provide these services.”
Lori Johb, secretary-treasurer, Saskatchewan Federation of Labour:
“People spoke loudly today, so I hope the Sask. Party government is listening: we reject your plans to sell SaskTel or any Crown, and we reject your cuts, waste, and mismanagement,” said SFL Secretary-Treasurer Lori Johb, “we also know cuts and privatization disproportionately impact women, a fact not lost on rally participants on International Women’s Day,” she added.
Joie Warnock, Western Director, Unifor:
“Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations are like the Goose that Laid Golden Eggs,” said Joie Warnock, Unifor’s Western Director. “Selling off the Crowns would be foolish and short-sighted.”
Kim Wilson, president, COPE Local 397:
“COPE 397 is asking the people of Saskatchewan to stand up to the current government and say NO to privatization, no to Bill 40, no to cuts, no layoffs, and no roll backs,” said Kim Wilson, president of COPE397, which represents workers at SGI, “the Crown corporations generate millions in dividends back to the province to pay for schools, roads, and hospitals. Public Sector employees did not cause the current deficit, and should not have to pay for the current government’s mismanagement,” she added.
People across the province have demonstrated a desire to keep the pressure on the Sask. Party government to withdraw Bill 40, protect our Crowns, invest in public services, and respect workers. As such, going forward the Own It! campaign, community groups, and the labour movement will be providing opportunities for Saskatchewan people to make their voices heard.
For additional information, contact:
Kent Peterson
Strategic Advisor
Saskatchewan Federation of Labour
o: 1 (306) 525-0197
m: 1 (306) 570-1855
e: k.peterson@sfl.sk.ca
#Be Bold For Change!
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.
We still have a long way to go to achieve gender parity in Canada.
In fact, there are only five countries that have closed 80% of the gap or more (Canada is not one of them). Learn more here.
Larry Hubich has served as the president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour for the past 15 years. Prior to taking on the SFL’s top position, Hubich worked for GSU as a staff representative and as a computer programmer at Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.
Learn more about Larry Hubich and his life before the SFL here.
Major data breeches in 2016 exposed log-in information and passwords for millions of people. A number of companies made the best of a bad situation by evaluating the passwords and compiling lists of the most commonly used – and worst – passwords leaked over the internet in 2016.
Tied for top honour for a sixth straight year on Splash Data’s worst password list are the passwords “password” and “123456”. Fellow contenders “passw0rd” and “password1” ranked slightly lower at numbers 18 and 25, respectively, and Star Wars received two nods with “solo” and “princess” cracking the top 15 at numbers 13 and 9.
Don’t make a hacker’s job easy.
Make sure your passwords are secure by using a variety of numbers, symbols, and upper- and lower-case letters. Make it a point to update your passwords regularly and use unique passwords for each site to decrease the chance of having multiple accounts hacked or your identity stolen.
Check out 25 of the worst passwords for 2016 and learn more about how to keep your on-line identify safe: Worst passwords of 2016.
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.
As Saskatchewan’s $1.2 billion provincial deficit soars, the government is talking about possible wage freezes and job cuts for public-sector workers.
There are also whispers about selling SaskTel. Legislation proposed by the Saskatchewan Party last autumn would allow the government to sell up to 49 per cent of a company without it being considered privatization.
Author Simon Enoch has evaluated the desirability of privatization and whether Saskatchewan would fare better under a privately-owned or publicly-owned telecom.
Read Enoch’s findings here: Behind the numbers: Brad Wall, SaskTel, and the terrible horrible no-good, very bad idea.
If you are called into an investigation meeting by your employer you should ask if this could result in discipline. If the answer is yes, you have the right to have a union representative present.
If you request to be accompanied by a union representative and the employer refuses to grant your request, they do so at the risk of jeopardizing the integrity of their investigation.
The benefit of having a union representative present during an investigative meeting or a disciplinary meeting is that the employee has an advocate and a witness present.
“There have been many times when the employee has said something and the employer has taken it out of context or the wrong way,” said GSU staff rep Dale Markling. “Having a union representative present tends to lead a reduction in tension and create a more civil atmosphere. Employees report they have found meetings with a union representative present to be much more about fact finding and much less of an inquisition.”
If you have questions or you think you might require union representation, contact your GSU staff rep. Your inquiry is confidential and there is no additional charge for having a staff rep attend a meeting with you.
You may have retirement plans, but the date you actually retire may not be the date you have in mind.
In the 2016 Sun Life Canadian Retirement Now Report, only 33 per cent of retirees were fortunate enough to finish their career according to their plans. The majority of remaining retirees credit their unanticipated retirement to health issues and employer decisions.
Could this happen to you? The statistics in the Retirement Now Report make unscheduled retirement seem like more of a probability than a possibility. Learn more here: The most important retirement planning decision we don’t get to make.
Are you concerned about privatization of our Crown corporations?
The recent sale of publicly-owned liquor stores was accompanied by musings on the part of Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and the introduction of legislation which would enable the government to sell up to 49 percent of a crown corporation without submitting the proposal to a province-wide vote.
“It’s difficult to fathom how the sale of any of our crown corporations would provide us with better services or prices or profits than Saskatchewan people have benefited from for generations, ” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “Many GSU members will recall Saskatchewan Wheat Pool’s experiment with partial privatization and which resulted a financial collapse, the loss of hundreds of jobs, the formation of Viterra, and eventually the takeover by transnational commodities giant Glencore PLC.”
If the potential for privatizing our crown corporations concerns you, communicate your views to government.
GSU president Jim Brown is one of three finalists nominated for the 2017 Safe Worker Award sponsored by the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). The winner of the award will be announced at the annual WCB Compensation Institute being held at TCU Place in Saskatoon on March 20, 2017.
“Recognition of Jim’s steadfast work and commitment to safe and healthy workplaces is long overdue,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “He’s served as a worker representative on Viterra’s central OH&S Committee for many years where he has actively agitated for worker safety.”
In addition to being president of GSU, Jim is a member of GSU Local 1 (Viterra) and has worked for his employer for nearly 30 years. He currently works at Viterra’s terminal elevator in Balgonie.
Congratulations, Jim.