Read this CountryGuide story here: 

Elevators hope mandatory vaccination doesn’t disrupt operations – New regulations will require all federally regulated employees to comply early in 2022

If someone asks if you have donated to help the people affected by flooding in British Columbia, you can tell them yes, you have – through your union.

In response to the widespread hardship resulting from the recent flooding, GSU’s executive committee has approved a $5,000 donation from the union’s solidarity account* to the Red Cross appeal covering the BC floods and extreme weather catastrophe.

“At times like this it is crucial for our society to pull together to help those in need,” said GSU president Jim Brown. “The sheer scale and extent of the devastation caused by the flooding and extreme weather in so much of BC is mind boggling. Hopefully GSU’s donation, along with those of many others, will provide direct help and hope for the people who must do the hard work of recovering.”

*GSU maintains a solidarity account to help those in need by allocating 50 cents per member per month out of the regular monthly dues paid by union members. While primarily dedicated to providing assistance to members of unions who are on strike or locked out, GSU’s solidarity account is also available to respond to humanitarian causes.

The holiday season is just around the corner. Assuming we aren’t sent to our respective corners by another wave of COVID, there will be holiday gatherings and inevitably we will encounter off-colour and outdated jokes and comments that have no place in society.

Whether it’s racist, homophobic, use of the r-word, body-shaming or any other variety of insult, there is no place at work, family gatherings, or anywhere else for comments that put others down or passively-aggressively imply putting them in their place.

Chances are that if you make it clear that you don’t find this type of joke-teller’s sense of humour funny, others may find it easier to speak up and say that they agree with you. Worst case scenario, by voicing your displeasure you will reduce the likelihood of those individuals feeling comfortable enough to make inappropriate remarks or jokes in your presence in the future.

Here are a few hints and responses to let others know that you are not a receptive audience to their outdated slang or attempts at humour:

• Don’t laugh.
• Say “I love you, but that type of comment is not okay,” or “I’m not sure why you think I would find that funny,” or “So, what would your [employer, sister, neighbour, etc.] think about you telling that joke?”
• Say nothing and wait for the speaker to reply next.
• Ask them to step to the side with you and, when they do, you can explain why what they said was offensive.

Learn more here about jokes that aren’t funny and how to respond:

• Can’t you take a joke, Love? Why the banter isn’t funny anymore
• Stand up for something you believe in
• Responding to everyday bigotry

From the Tuesday Members’ Memo – Nov. 30, 2021

Our path to reconciliation includes listening, learning, and creating opportunities for education and participation within GSU. On the last Tuesday of each month we will be sharing a short piece of information in our Tuesday Members’ Memo that we hope will inspire you to learn more about the topic, and ultimately contribute to a shared future of reconciliation.

Treaties

Before Canada existed as a country, what is now Eastern Canada had a two-fold attraction to the land to the west. Like their neighbours to the south, Eastern Canada was keen to expand into the resource and land-rich Prairie Region, and they risked losing it to a rapidly expanding and aggressive United States. Opting for a different path, Central Canada chose a more diplomatic approach, and began the process of signing Treaties. 

Between 1871 and 1921, Treaties one through eleven were signed in rapid succession, forming formal contracts between two sovereign nations.

Before these Treaties were signed, several First Nations lived in what is now modern-day Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota, and Alberta. Each of which had a rich history of using Treaties for inter-tribal affairs that were used for trade, safe passage, alliances, and access to resources and shared ancestral land. These relationships were based on reciprocity, respect, and coexistence, and were reaffirmed with ceremonies and protocol. They were to be renewed with regular dialogue, and the original spirit and intent of the agreement were to persist generation after generation. When French, American, and English interests began to collide, potential hostility began to grow. To secure tactical alliances, and to protect their inherited claim to their land, First Nation people used their expertise with Treaties and invited the then English Government to begin a fruitful relationship. 

Stretching from Eastern Ontario to the North-West Territories, the Treaties are often mistaken as symbolic, when they are in fact contracts between two sovereign nations. In return for access to the land (intended for agricultural settlements), the government was to respect their traditions of hunting, fishing, trapping, and to supply medicine, clothing, agricultural supplies, and education. This also kept the United States from encroaching on now newly acquired Canadian-First Nation territory without unnecessary war and violence. 

Learn more here:

• Truth about treaties
• What does “we are all Treaty people” mean, and who speaks for indigenous students on campus
• Canada and the First Nations: A History of Broken Promises
• Aboriginal Treaties
• Treaties in Saskatchewan
• Indigenous Treaty Rights
• The numbered treaties

There is so much more to learn!

GSU is building a truth and reconciliation lending library. If you have resources you would recommend for our library or are interested in borrowing a book, contact staff rep Mason Van Luven at Mason@gsu.ca.

What is more important: How you see someone or respecting how they see themselves?

The third Wednesday of October is International Pronoun Day, and it’s an opportunity to consider how we use personal pronouns.

A personal pronoun refers to a person. Other than our names, personal pronouns are one of the main ways we identify and address people. The personal pronouns we often hear are she, her, hers, he, him, and his. It’s 2021, and in order to be a more inclusive society, they way we use personal pronouns is changing.

The way people look on the outside isn’t necessarily how they identify on the inside. And just like it’s hurtful to be repeatedly called by the wrong name or a nickname you don’t like or appreciate, it’s hurtful to be called by the wrong pronouns.

It may make you feel uncomfortable or awkward to address people with the pronouns they use, and that’s okay. For many people this is a new conversation and that can make us feel uneasy. Let’s listen, learn, and work toward an environment where everyone feels safe and included.

Sept. 14, 2021

GSU selection committee to report to Joint Executive Council

The committee responsible for managing the process for recruitment of a GSU staff representative will report to the semi-annual meeting on of the Joint Executive Council (JEC) on September 24.

“A good number of applications were received and six interviews have been conducted,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “The high quality of the applicants makes the committee’s job difficult, and that’s a good problem to have.”

Wagner reports that the selection committee expects to make a hiring recommendation to the JEC on September 24. The JEC’s decision will be announced on Sept. 28.

Sept. 9, 2021

Job interviews with applicants for GSU’s vacant staff representative position will be held Sept. 9 and 10

“A good selection of applications was received and the job of vetting candidates begins,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “The hiring committee comprises GSU president Jim Brown, vice presidents Michelle Houlden and Curtis Cousins, staff representative Steve Torgerson, and me.”

Once the selection process is completed and a new representative is hired, the individual will be based in Saskatoon. A hiring recommendation must be presented to GSU’s Joint Executive Council (board of directors) for approval. The next meeting of the Joint Executive Council is scheduled for Sept. 24.

An announcement stemming from the hiring process will be made following the Sept. 24 meeting of GSU’s Joint Executive Council.

GSU Staff Representative

The Joint Executive Council of Grain and General Services Union (ILWU Canada) has approved advertising a staff representative vacancy in the union’s Saskatoon office. The objective is to fill the position by early autumn 2021. A copy of the job description for the GSU staff representative classification can be viewed or printed here or by using the link below. 

GSU staff reps are unionized and are covered by the terms of the collective agreement between GSU and the Independent Union Services Union (IUSU). The salary range for staff reps is $7239 to $8847 per month. Competitive benefits and working conditions are provided via the GSU/IUSU collective agreement.

Interested candidates are asked to submit their applications and resumes to GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner at gsu@gsu.ca.

The deadline for receipt of applications is Monday, August 30, 2021.

Following the close of the applications period, a recruitment committee approved by GSU’s Joint Executive Council (JEC) will conduct interviews with selected candidates. The recruitment committee is charged with the responsibility of making a hiring recommendation to the JEC.

Related:

• GSU staff representative job description (as at August 1, 2021) PDF
• Cover page and GSU staff representative job description – PDF

The stucco work has come to a halt while we await the arrival and installation of new windows. Roughly 80 percent of the building has been covered in a scratch coat, with the final 20 percent awaiting window installation before the remaining scratch coat and stucco can be cleanly and precisely applied.

It’s been an interesting process, particularly when the aged wooden soffits were torn down. GSU staff watched dirt, straw, substantial dust bunnies, newspaper, and even a pair of old dress shoes fall past their windows.

Undertaking renovations during a global pandemic has proved interesting as manufacturers struggled to get supplies and keep their reduced workforces safe with COVID protocols, and that slowed down and sometimes stopped the flow of products. We remain hopeful that our window company is able to get our windows put together and shipped to us by mid-August so the stucco project can be completed by early autumn.

In the meantime, if you are missing your old dress shoes, let us know.

GSU members can face many weather-related challenges, whether it’s working in a confined space in the heat of the summer months or diving into frigid water in the winter.

If you work anywhere other than a climate controlled office, check out your employer’s policy on working in extreme conditions. Your employer may also post relevant workplace policies on an employee information board.

Information links on extreme weather and Saskatchewan workers are linked below. Check it out, but be aware that your employer’s extreme temperature policy may go beyond this legislation.

Legal overview of what covers whom
www.ccohs.ca – temperature_legislation

General fact sheets and Information for all workers
www.ccohs.ca – temperature

Information on thermal stress Canada Labour Code (Federal)
www.canada.ca – thermal-stress-work-place.html

Hot Conditions – Worksafe SK
www.worksafesask.ca – Hot Conditions Guidelines_2021_v3

Cold Conditions Worksafe SK
www.worksafesask.ca – Working in Cold Conditions-Fact-Sheet_v4

As always, don’t hesitate to contact a GSU staff rep if you have questions or need assistance.