GSU’s Joint Executive Council (JEC) held its 2020 annual meeting by
conference call on April 3.
As GSU’s board of directors, the JEC would have held its 2020 annual meeting in conjunction with the union’s biennial policy convention that had been scheduled for March 19 to 21. When the biennial policy convention was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health warnings, it became necessary to convene the JEC by conference call to conduct GSU’s administrative and financial business.
The JEC meeting approved cancellation of GSU’s 2020 policy convention and
provisionally amended the union’s constitution to allow for a policy
convention within the first five months of 2021 and every two years
thereafter. The meeting also approved provisional constitutional amendments to extend the terms of office of GSU’s president, vice-presidents and general secretary until elections are held at the 2021 policy convention. Members of the board of directors of the GSU Defense Fund were also re-elected until the 2021 policy convention.
The JEC received a report from the general secretary on union administration, finances, and GSU’s 2019 audited financial statements. The
reports and 2019 audited financial statements were approved along with the draft 2019/2020 annual report to members. The annual report and 2019 audited financial statements will be published on GSU’s web site in the coming weeks.
In addition to administrative and policy business, the April 3 JEC meeting
directed that GSU make a substantial charitable donation on behalf of all
the members to be distributed as widely as possible to community
organizations who are being called upon to do extra duty in support of the
poor and vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The JEC acknowledged the heroic efforts of frontline workers in health care,
elder care, public service, and in all of the services being maintained to
keep us healthy and whole. Council members also expressed their appreciation for all of the GSU members who are working to keep their part of the system working.
The JEC will meet again as required, but no later than its semi-annual
meeting in the autumn. Hopefully the next meeting will be in person.
Your JEC members are:
GSU President – Jim Brown
GSU Vice Presidents – Michelle Houlden, Brett North
- Local 1 (Viterra Ops/Maintenance) – 4 representatives
Dave Barrett, Travis Brewer, Gaylyn Kennedy, vacant - Local 2 (Viterra Offices) – 2 representatives
Sheila Tran, Howard Wilson - Local 4 (Grain Millers) – 2 representatives
Glen Wlasichuk, Alex McKay - Local 5 (Western Producer/GVIC) – 1 representative
Sharlene Tetrault - Local 6 (Wild West Steelhead) – 1 representative
Amber Pearson - Local 7 (Heartland) – 1 representative
Heather Mackay - Local 8 (Advance Employees Association) – 3 representatives
Dion Elliott, Steve Holliday, Doug Murray - Local 9 (Trouw Nutrition) – 1 representative
Derek Webb - Local 13 (IATSE Local 295), Local 16 (Lake Country Co-op), Local 17 (Discovery Co-op), Local 18 (Lloydminster Co-op), Local 19 (Prairie Co-op) – 1 representative
Vacant - Local 14 (Richardson Pioneer) – 2 representatives
Justin Shauf, Mark Zacharias - Local 15 (Nutrien) – 4 representatives
Curtis Cousins, Brian Cowan, Lynn Shaw, vacant