Category Archives: general interest – GSU members

Congratulations to our 2017 GSU scholarship recipients

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Grain and General Services Union is pleased to announce our 2017 GSU scholarship recipients as chosen by our GSU scholarship committee.

The following five students have received a $2,000 scholarship based on their demonstrated ability and a passion to inspire positive change in their communities, and on their written essay on the following topic:

“Using an example from your own experience or from a recent news item, what could you and your friends do as ordinary citizens to help someone who has been targeted because of his/her race, sexual orientation, gender or age?”

Thank you to everyone who applied. And thank you to our scholarship committee – Jim Brown (Local 1 – Viterra), Michelle Houlden (Local 5 – Western Producer), and Brett North (Local 1 – Viterra) – for reviewing this year’s scholarship applications and selecting our recipients. 

Giovanni Bacchetto

Giovanni recently completed high school at Bedford Road Collegiate and the International Baccalaureate (IB)  Diploma program. He also received the IB History subject award as well as achieving high honors.

Giovanni will be attending the University of Saskatchewan, taking first year Engineering with a goal of specializing to become a Computer Engineer.

“I am so grateful to have been considered and chosen for the GSU scholarship as it will help me achieve my goals.” 

Giovanni is the son of GSU member Roberto Bacchetto – Local 15 (CPS).

Read Giovanni’s essay here.

Carley Matechuk

Carley Matechuk is a fourth-year education student at the University of Regina. She is currently in the Elementary Education program and excited about heading into her internship in the fall with a Grade 3 and 4 split class. After graduation Carley hopes to travel and cross some items off of her bucket list before beginning a full-time teaching position.

Carley is the daughter of GSU member Kevin Matechuk – Local 15 (CPS).

Read Carley’s essay here.

Sarah Nilsen

Sarah grew up in Saskatoon and graduated as an honour roll student from Centennial Collegiate.

Having trained at some of the top ballet schools across the country (Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Quinte Ballet School of Canada and Alberta Ballet) Sarah chose to pursue a three-year teacher training program at Canada’s National Ballet School after graduating high school. Following this program Sarah transferred her credits to pursue two concurrent degrees at York University; a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education.

While in school Sarah is also working full-time as a dance teacher, sharing her talent and passion for dance and music with students throughout Toronto.

Sarah is the daughter of GSU member Karen Morrison – Local 5 (Western Producer).

Read Sarah’s essay here.

Jordan Schutz

Jordan hails from Grenfell, SK. He graduated high school in 2016 and is currently enrolled at the University of Regina.

This spring Jordan completed his first of four years in the Faculty of Education, Middle Years program and he is looking forward to becoming a teacher. When he completes his degree in three years he plans to teach Grades 6-9 in rural Saskatchewan.
“I am honoured to be chosen as this year’s recipient for the Grain & General Services Union scholarship. This scholarship will help tremendously in paying for my tuition for this upcoming school year.”

Jordan is the son of GSU member Cory Schutz – Local 15 (CPS).

Read Jordan’s essay here.

Joshua Schutz

Joshua is from Grenfell, SK. He is currently a carpenter for Kim Steininger Construction with plans to attend his third of four years of schooling to become a Journeyman carpenter. After graduation, Joshua plans to open a carpentry business with his cousin who is a Journeyman carpenter.

“I am thankful to be chosen a recipient of this GSU scholarship. This scholarship will help greatly in paying my next two years of tuition for school.”

Joshua is the son of GSU member Cory Schutz – Local 15 (CPS).

Read Joshua’s essay here.

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED: Rate of Pay

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Earlier this year a GSU member contacted general secretary Hugh Wagner with regard to the rate of pay she was receiving. Wagner checked into the matter and discovered that the member was being paid significantly less than most of her co-workers in the same job classification despite being senior to many.

The matter was raised with the employer and for a couple of months the parties argued back and forth. Eventually the member received a significant adjustment in her rate of pay.

“Not every pay dispute is resolved in favour of union members, particularly since some employers have substantial discretionary power in relation to setting employees’ rates of pay within a pay range,” said general secretary Hugh Wagner. “In this case we were able to establish a solid argument based on the facts of the situation and the active involvement of the affected union member.”

“Successfully resolving many employment issues for union members comes down to fact gathering and critically measuring employers’ behavior against reasonable standards,” said Wagner. “Things won’t change unless we make arguments in favour of change and are willing to get involved in the struggle. This needs to happen at the individual level, as in this case, and especially at the collective level when we go into agreement renewal bargaining.”

Have a question, comment or observation? Call a GSU staff 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. 

Calgary man challenges people to think differently about Canada’s past 

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On July 1 some people will be celebrating and others will be protesting Canada’s 150 years of colonization. Michael Broadfoot isn’t inclined to do either.

Broadfoot wanted to create an inclusive event that would leave people thinking differently about Canada’s past, so he created the Trading Post 150 event which took place June 25 in Calgary.

“What we wanted to do was engage with Canada’s 150 by bringing people together,” he said. “We wanted people to feel included in a way that maybe some of the other events weren’t.”

Learn more here.

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED: out-of-pocket health plan expenses

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Recently, a GSU member mentioned in passing he was out-of-pocket for some health plan expenses that exceeded his coverage. A nearby GSU officer asked if the member had used the health spending account which was part of their benefit plan. 

The member was not aware he had access to a health spending account. After some encouragement from the GSU officer, the member called Manulife and found out that he was able to use the current year’s credit and the previous year’s credit which hadn’t been claimed, and his reimbursement cheque would be in the mail immediately.   

Have a question, comment or observation? Call a GSU staff 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. 

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

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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.