You may be among friends, but the office holiday party is a professional workplace function. Treated properly, it’s a great place for socializing, building work relationships with co-workers, and leaving a positive impression in the minds of your workplace superiors. If things get out of hand you may be remembered for oversharing personal revelations, vomiting in someone’s purse, or being fired.
Prepare for success. Check out these 13 things you should never do at the office holiday party.
Congratulations to our 2016 scholarship and bursary recipients who were selected to receive $2,000 from GSU’s scholarship and bursary program(s).
Learn more about our recipients and read their essay submissions here.
You can learn more about past scholarship and bursary recipients here.
REGINA, SK, June 10, 2016 – The polls have closed and the ballots have been counted in GSU Local 15 members’ vote on the tentative agreement renewal bargaining settlement between the union and CPS Canada. The majority of Local 15 members who returned their mail-in ballots have voted to approve the tentative settlement.
CPS management has been informed of the result of the GSU ratification vote.
Work will now begin to implement the settlement and finalize a new collective agreement covering unionized employees at Ag retail branches, the Nipawin seed plant and AG research and development operations.
“It’s a great exercise in democracy when employees vote on their terms and conditions of employment. This is a right only unionized employees have,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “Thanks to the GSU bargaining committee for their hard work and thanks union members for their support and participation in the vote.”
Wagner reports that with agreement renewal bargaining resolved, closer attention will be given to addressing the scope of the union’s bargaining unit with CPS in Saskatchewan.
It takes a combination of hard work and educational funding for most students to achieve their goals.
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.
The scholarship competition is open to GSU members, their spouses, and dependent children who have not previously won.
Scholarship applicants must be 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.
Our scholarship committee will meet in June to determine the successful scholarship recipients and all scholarship applicants are advised of the committee’s decision shortly after it has been made.
Applicants may complete either the dependant or the member application form and return it to Grain and General Services Union with the following items:
Scholarship application forms are available below or mailed directly to members upon request. Availability of the forms will be announced is announced on the website, email, and GSU newsletter in March of every calendar year.
Related information:
A member was having ongoing issues with a co-worker. With advice from staff rep Steve Torgerson, the member had been addressing the problem directly and keeping written notes about the problems that had occurred and how the problem had been dealt with. The member also continued to check in with GSU to relay events and document problems and progress with Steve.
It’s important to document problems you have in the workplace.
“Your memory gets fuzzy so it never hurts to keep track of things in writing or by documenting an incident in an email or phone call with your staff rep,” Torgerson advises. “Your notes or your staff rep’s notes may even be called as evidence to back up your story, and notes are given much stronger consideration than someone’s memory.”
If you want to discuss a workplace situation or learn more about how and when you should keep notes, contact your GSU staff rep.
The Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan (PATHS) is working with survivors, advocates, unions and employers to raise awareness of the impact of intimate partner violence (also known as domestic violence) on the workplace. As part of their project they are conducting a survey of Saskatchewan workers to explore their experience of intimate partner violence and it how it impacted them at work.
There is mounting evidence that the impact of intimate partner violence on workers and workplaces is significant.
In 2009, intimate partner violence (IPV) cost female employees $20,943,599. The economic impact of IPV against females on the output of employers was estimated at $6,194,356. Further, the total economic impact of IPV against females on employers due to tardiness and distraction is estimated to be $44,858,528 (Zhang, Hoddenbagh, McDonald & Scrim, 2013).
The cost of violence against women in Canada – including health care, criminal justice, social services, lost wages and productivity – has been estimated at $4.2-billion annually, according to the Canadian Women’s Foundation” (Globe and Mail, January 2013).
Specific language on IPV is making its way into Occupational Health and Safety Legislation in some Canadian jurisdictions. Employers have a duty to safeguard their employees. There is an increasing recognition that employers should have a policy against IPV and should address the problem in employment contracts and workplace policies.
Saskatchewan has the unfortunate distinction of having the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence, sexual assault and intimate partner homicide among the Canadian provinces.
It’s time for a culture shift. Will you be part of the change?
PATHS is asking workers in Saskatchewan to take part in their survey. It will take about 15 minutes to complete.
The Survey Link is available here.
If you have questions about the survey or would like to become involved in the PATHS project, contact Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan using the information below:
paths@sasktel.net
Phone : 306.522.3515
Fax : 306.522.0830
www.pathssk.org
If an Article or section of an Article of the collective agreement is not mentioned in this report, it means there will not be any change to that Article or section as the case may be.
There are numerous grammatical and “housekeeping” changes to the collective agreement. These types of changes clarify the wording, but do not change rights.
There may be adjustments to the precise wording of some amendments to better capture the intent of the parties. Where these are occur, members will be informed.
A summary of the tentative agreement renewal bargaining settlement between GSU and Crop Production Services Canada covering Local 15 is available below.
Please note the tentative settlement is subject to approval by GSU members. Next week, GSU will announce details of the plans for conducting the vote on the tentative settlement.
Working together with your union and individually as GSU members we can lead by example and work toward building a world free from racism.
Learn more here: www.un.org.
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.
Learn more here: www.internationalwomensday.com
Many GSU members have already participated or are getting ready for their year-end performance evaluation.
Make sure you are giving your employer all the necessary information they should have from you.
Take the time to fill out the comments section of your self evaluation. This is your opportunity to present your case and provide a basis for what is discussed during your review. Don’t be shy! List the things you have done, what you have accomplished, and how you have gone above and beyond for your employer.
Be specific.
For example, if you work in a grain elevator,
Write it down in your comments, and keep extra examples with you when you sit down for your review.
Not sure what to include in your comments?
GSU vice-president Jim Brown offers this hint.
“Talk wi th your co-workers about filling in your comments and create a discussion in the workplace. Don’t be shy about asking them what they did and what they will be writing down,” Brown said. “A group discussion may help you recall some of your other contributions and achievements in the past year, and you may find your co-workers can remind you about times you went the extra mile and vice-versa.”
Recently one of our staff reps received a call from a member about a disciplinary action the member had received. Unfortunately it was past the the timeline in the collective agreement to file a grievance so our member was out of time to appeal the disciplinary action.
Don’t wait to contact the union with employment problems or problems in your workplace. It is important that members contact us prior to the timeline deadlines in their collective agreements.
Even if you aren’t sure you have a grievance or that you actually want to file one, talk to your GSU staff rep. Our staff reps can help you make an informed decision by explaining your options and the consequences of filing or not filing a grievance. In the end, whether you choose to file a grievance is a decision only you can make.
Check your collective agreement or contact your GSU staff rep for information on timelines for filing a grievance.
GSU helps sort things out. If you need advice or interpretation about the terms and conditions of your collective agreement, call your GSU staff rep. Contacting GSU does not mean you are obligated to file a grievance and we will not contact your employer or act on your behalf without consultation, direction, and approval from you.
Questions? Call our staff reps toll-free at 1.866.522.6686 (Regina) or 1.855.384.7314 (Saskatoon).
Union is strength and by working together we can accomplish more than we can accomplish alone.
There are many reasons to celebrate the women of the world on March 8. The reasons we celebrate are as similar and as different as women themselves.
We celebrate to:
Read the following story online at www.internationalwomensday.com.
International Women’s Day 2014 Theme: INSPIRING CHANGE
Women’s equality has made positive gains but the world is still unequal. International Women’s Day celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on areas requiring further action.
Inspiring Change is the 2014 theme for our internationalwomensday.com global hub and encourages advocacy for women’s advancement everywhere in every way. It calls for challenging the status quo for women’s equality and vigilance inspiring positive change.
The vast array of communication channels, supportive spokespeople, equality research, campaigns and corporate responsibility initiatives means everyone can be an advocate inspiring change for women’s advancement.
Each year International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women’s groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day.
Some groups select their own International Women’s Day theme, specific to their local context. For example, the European Parliament’s 2013 theme was “Women’s response to the crisis” and their 2012 theme “Equal pay for work of equal value”.
The United Nations declares an annual theme*:
– 2013: A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women
– 2012: Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty
– 2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology
– 2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all
– 2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
– 2008: Investing in Women and Girls
– 2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls
– 2006: Women in decision-making
– 2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future
– 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS
– 2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
– 2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities
– 2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts
– 2000: Women Uniting for Peace
– 1999: World Free of Violence against Women
– 1998: Women and Human Rights
– 1997: Women at the Peace Table
– 1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future
– 1975: United Nations recognizes International Women’s Day.
*Saskatchewan’s theme for 2014 is “Communities in Action: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls”.
We can do it!
“An artist named J. Howard Miller first created the powerful “We Can Do It” image in 1942 as part of a defense industry campaign. That year, companies decided they were willing to hire women for their war production. To promote this, employers and government started a huge promotion to attract female workers.
In 1943, Norman Rockwell’s version of Rosie appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. Rockwell was the most popular illustrator in the USA, and when his drawing was published on the cover, millions of issues were sold all over the nation, boosting the Rosie myth. Soon the press picked up the story of Rose Hickey who was the record holder riveter at the TBM Avenger plant.” ~ www.vector1.com