The point of using your health benefits isn’t just to use up the money – it’s to make sure that you are getting the medications, treatments and help you need to feel and be your best mentally and physically. Self-care is important and it needs to be a priority.

Check your collective agreement for details on your account, and – as always – don’t hesitate to contact your GSU staff rep if you need help sorting things out. The services we provide to you are included in your union dues, and there is no additional charge for assisting you.

GSU staff rep Brian Lark is assisting a member who has been a temporary employee for six years. The member was originally a summer student hired as a temporary employee, and for the following five years the employee was hired on an eight- to ten-month term contract.

“As a temporary employee, they are not entitled to all of the benefits that a regular employee is entitled to. They are not eligible to be a part of the group benefits. They do not get money towards a pension. They are not afforded paid time off for being sick, attending their sick children or vacations,” Lark said. “They are not entitled to an annual increase unless they are able to negotiate one themself when they accept the term position. These are basic privileges that come with being part of the union and they are excluded from them.”

Lark is working with the employer to transition the employee to a permanent employee.

“This employee enjoys the work and position, and is willing to come back each year to do the work,” said Lark. “All they are asking is that the company give them the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits that come with being a permanent employee.”

No problem is too small, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us with your questions, observations or concerns. Our services are provided to you as part of your union dues and there is never an additional charge for assisting you or a limit on the times you can seek advice. Contact information for GSU staff representatives is available on our web page at GSU.ca.

Ten days of employer-paid sick leave are now available for private sector workers who fall under the jurisdiction of the Canada Labour Code.

Workers who have been continuously employed for at least 30 days will have access to their first three days of paid sick leave as of Dec. 31, 2022. Starting on Feb. 1, 2023, workers will acquire a fourth day of paid sick leave and will continue to accumulate one day of paid sick leave on the first day of each following month up to a maximum of 10 days per year.

“Most GSU members already have better sick leave benefits through their collective agreements with their employers, particularly since the new federal benefit caps out at 10 paid days per year,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “Nonetheless, this is a major improvement to labour standards that can be built on and extended to workers who are currently excluded because they are deemed to be temporary or casual.”

“Improving labour standards for all is a cause actively supported by GSU, but the absolute best way for workers to get ahead is to join a union,“ Wagner said. “Provincial governments would do well to follow the lead of the federal government since paid sick leave is an important incentive in recruiting and retaining workers.”

As an employee in Canada, you have a minimum of three basic rights when it comes to Occupational Health and Safety.

These rights were born in Saskatchewan and later adopted by all provinces and the country. While Canadian occupational health and safety legislation guarantees these rights for all employees in Canada as a minimum, each province has the authority and ability to adapt and strengthen these rights in their jurisdictions. The Saskatchewan Employment Act and Regulations also guarantee these rights for all workers in Saskatchewan.

You can’t safely guard against a hazard if you don’t know it exists

#1.  The right to know about health and safety.   [WorkSafe Sask video] 

As an employee you have a right to know hazards that are present in the workplace or are likely to be in the workplace. It is the responsibility of the employer to inform you and to provide information, instructions, education, training and supervision as needed to protect your health and safety. All these things must be provided before the work begins.

While it is the responsibility of the employer to inform you, you also have a responsibility to ensure you are engaged, educated and participating by asking questions and seeking clarification before you start the work.

If you haven’t been informed of the hazards, STOP!

Don’t start a project without knowledge about the hazards in your workspace or the workspace you may be going into.

For instance, if you are asked to travel to a different work location to do the tasks you perform at your home location, you must be aware of the differences between the two locations. Even if it is a similar task, the way you complete a task at your home station may not be the same protocol for the location you are traveling to. The environment, the people you are working with and the tasks they are responsible for performing are all new to you. You need to be instructed on how to complete the task and who is responsible for other tasks.

Example: Loading Rail Cars

While you may open and close rail cars at your home station during the loading process, the way you access the top of the rail cars may be different than other locations. Likewise, safety procedures for moving cars and the emergency procedure to get off the top of the rail car may be different, the people responsible for completing tasks may be unfamiliar to you and the tasks of their position may be different than those at your home station. It’s also important to be aware of language or cultural barriers in the new location that are not present in your home location and to note who on staff has first aid training.

These are only a few examples of differences you may encounter doing a similar task in a new environment.

As an employee, you have the right to participate in planning to minimize or eliminate hazards in the workplace.

#2.  The right to participate in decisions that could affect your health and safety. [WorkSafe Sask video]

One way to participate is by becoming a member of your workplace OH&S committee. Saskatchewan legislation requires workplaces with 10 or more employees to have an OH&S committee. The committee must be equally comprised of employer and employee representatives. Larger federal employers have additional responsibilities and committees to ensure the safety of their workers.

In the work place you can participate in OH&S by bringing forward ideas, risks, and concerns to the attention of your supervisor and OH&S committee. When asked to do a task, you have the right to participate in planning and control of the risks and hazards that are present, and you can make suggestions to your supervisor and OH&S committee.

Don’t hesitate to contact your GSU staff rep if you need assistance with an issue in your workplace.

#3. The right to refuse work that could affect your health and safety or that of others. [WorkSafe Sask video]

Employees have the right to refuse and the right to know if work has been refused.

Don’t be afraid to exercise this right when you believe the work will endanger the health and safety of self or others. Exercising this right is a serious decision that should not be taken lightly and it shouldn’t be used as a routine method of solving workplace problems.

It’s not only the work that may be dangerous. There may be situations or people who may make the work dangerous. For example, if you are required to work at a height with another worker who is afraid of heights, their fear could endanger them or cause a situation that presents danger to you. As well, if you are required to perform a task with a member of your team who is not fit for work, you have a right to refuse to work with them.

If you choose to exercise the right to refuse, you will need to do the following:

• Tell your supervisor what is unsafe about the work. Your supervisor must take corrective action if they agree with your concern, or explain why they disagree.
• If you are not satisfied with your supervisor’s actions/explanations and your workplace has a health and safety committee or representative, advise them of the situation. The committee can conduct an investigation on your behalf and provide a decision on their findings. If they agree with you, they can make recommendations to the employer to correct the situation.
• If you are unsatisfied with the committee recommendations or there is no committee or representative in your workplace, contact your local health and safety officer in your province. If the officer disagrees with you, they can instruct you to return to work. If you disagree with the officer’s decision, you have a right to appeal the decision with your jurisdiction.

The employer has the right to temporarily reassign you to perform other work while the investigation is being conducted and to reassign another worker to perform the work but they must inform them that the work was previously refused.

If you have questions or need assistance with your right to refuse or other issues in your workplace, don’t hesitate contact your GSU staff representative.

If you have questions about your OH&S rights at work, don’t hesitate to contact your GSU staff rep. Their services are provided to you and paid for by your union dues. There is no limit on the times you can seek assistance and there is never an additional charge to you. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

The Moose Hide Campaign stands up against violence towards women and children.

Those wearing a small patch of hide pinned to their clothing you are participating in the Moose Hide Campaign and committing to honour, respect, and protect the women and children in their lives. In addition, this patch demonstrates that the wearer commits to work to end violence against women and children.

The Moose Hide Campaign is an Indigenous-led grassroots movement of men, boys and all Canadians standing up to end violence against women and children. Women, girls and all genders are also very much welcome to support the campaign and its goals.

In joining the campaign as men and boys, a promise is made to:

• stand up with women and children and speak out against violence towards them,
• support each other as men and hold each other accountable,
• teach young boys about the true meaning of love and respect and be healthy role models for them, and
• heal as men and support our brothers on their healing journey.

To learn more or order your own moose hide pin, visit moosehidecampaign.ca

GSU staff rep Brian Lark assisted a member when the employer wanted to extend their probationary period.

“There are reasonable reasons to extend probation periods but there can also be unreasonable extensions implemented by employers,” GSU staff rep Mason Van Luven said. “Probationary employees are dues-paying union members, and they have full access to the assistance of a staff representative. If they are questioning an extension to their probationary period or another workplace issue they should give us a call.”

Our services are provided to you as part of your union dues and there is never an additional charge for assisting you or a limit on the times you can seek advice. Contact information for GSU staff representatives is available on our web page at GSU.ca.

Twenty-one GSU delegates joined 340 delegates from other unions as they attended the 66th convention of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour held in Regina from October 26 to 28.

Convention activities began on the evening of Oct. 25 with delegate registration and the KAIROS Blanket Exercise which is designed to be an interactive teaching tool exploring the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the land we now call Canada. On Oct. 26 the formal convention agenda kicked off with the call to order, greetings from various dignitaries, the president’s address and secretary-treasurer’s report. The convention agenda also included presentations focusing on contemporary issues and challenges confronting working people in Canada.

Central to the convention was the debate on a variety of policy resolutions focused on improving the circumstances of working people across the province. Delegates also took time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Saskatchewan’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, including the pioneering leadership of Bob Sass.

GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner and Jackie Lazar (COPE 397) were awarded the Larry Hubich Lifetime of Service Award for their contributions to the labour movement and tireless advocacy for working people.

The theme of the convention was, “Speaking Up” for labour rights and better working conditions for workers in all sectors. Delegates put the theme in action by speaking up at a demonstration in support of the labour movement’s agenda which was held at the Saskatchewan Legislature on Oct. 27.

Lori Johb (SEIU West) was elected to her third term as SFL president and Kent Peterson (CUPE Saskatchewan) was elected to his second term as secretary treasurer. Delegates also voted overwhelmingly to change the SFL constitution to provide for biennial as opposed to annual conventions going forward.