Dialogue to resolve Local 5’s agreement renewal bargaining is ongoing. We thank Local 5 members for their patience and continued support.
Bargaining to resume Nov. 15 & 16
Sept. 25, 2023 email to Local 5 members
We have new bargaining dates with the Employer.
Dates have been arranged for November 15 and 16 with both sides agreeing to get back to the bargaining issues. We look forward to fruitful dialogue between the parties and an opportunity to work collaboratively to negotiate a settlement for all involved.
Union committee provides their available bargaining dates to company, requests company reciprocate
August 31, 2023
On Aug. 24 and again on Aug. 31, your GSU bargaining committee requested that the company provide it’s availability to return to negotiations between the parties.
Read the bargaining committee’s Aug. 31 update to members here.
Members overwhelmingly reject employer’s *final offer*, request their bargaining committee return to the table
Aug. 24, 2023 email to Local 5 members
Members met on Aug. 23 to review and vote on a final offer presented by the company on Aug. 11. An overwhelming 90.5% of Local 5 members voted to reject the offer.
Members have neither called for nor taken a strike vote, and they aren’t in a strike position. Rather, Local 5 members and their bargaining committee are committed to working toward a negotiated resolution to bargaining.
Union bargaining committee unhappy with company’s *final offer* email to members
Aug. 15, 2023
When GSU Local’s 5 bargaining committee learned that the employer sent members an email with a copy of their *final offer* and opinions on bargaining, our committee was not happy. Your committee believes the company has left out some details and the document is not accurate.
Members have reached out to their GSU bargaining committee expressing anger and frustration with the email. A membership meeting has been set for Aug. 23 to answer membership questions and continue work to fight the company’s aggressive and regressive tactics.
You can read the GSU bargaining committee’s Aug. 14 email – including the company email and the union response – here.
If you have any questions leading up to next week’s meeting, don’t hesitate to reach out to your bargaining committee members.
Mediation ends with vague *final offer* from company committee
July 28, 2023
To: GSU Local 5 Members
The Local 5 bargaining committee resumed mediation with the company on July 26 and 27. Through the mediator, both parties traded offers, and the company the union presented with a final offer late in the day on July 27 .
“We were never able to directly discuss the final offer or why the company presented a final offer and so we are left with a vague offer that we still have questions about,” said GSU general secretary and union bargaining committee spokesperson Steve Torgerson.
The union committee will be reaching out to the company to clarify a few items in their final offer and ask them to provide some real details and not just vague statements. Once we that information and clarification is received, GSU’s committee will report back to Local members. The speed of the process will depend on how quickly the company provides answers.
Even without a full picture of what this final offer contains, we know the following:
- the company’s last offer on Wednesday, July 26 was worse than the March 13 offer they made.
- the company thinks they can do whatever they want and try to silence your Local President.
- they don’t honour their commitments because we were told during mediation that the company did not register the Supplemental Employment Benefit plan since the last round of negotiations, leaving employees with no SEB benefits.
GSU and Local 5 will keep working to get a fair deal in bargaining, we will fight to defend the union and its members from company intimidation and protect people unjustly terminated, and we will hold the company to account on SEB and demand they fix what they broke and do what they agreed to do when they signed the last collective agreement.
As soon as we have a clear final offer, members will be advised and a membership meeting will be scheduled.
Local 5 (Western Producer) bargaining impasse mediation set for June 6 & 7; July 26 & 27
Tuesday Members’ Memo – May 2, 2023
Mediation has been set for June 6 and 7, and again July 26 and 27 with mediator Kevin Eckert who will assist the parties in an effort to reach a negotiated settlement.
GSU’s Local 5 bargaining committee held a membership meeting on April 25 to provide members with an update and give them an opportunity to ask questions.
As is the case during any bargaining and mediation process, we may not be able to provide details while discussions are ongoing but we will provide dates of meetings and as much information on progress as we are able to. If you have questions, please reach out to your bargaining committee members.
GSU is committed to the process and is looking forward to working with the members and the employer to negotiate a settlement that is workable for all.
We thank Local 5 members for their patience and continued support.
Mediator appointed in bargaining impasse
Tuesday Members’ Memo – April 4, 2023
On March 30 the union was advised that mediator Kevin Eckert had been appointed to assist the parties in their efforts to reach a negotiated settlement. We are awaiting contact with Mr. Eckert and we look forward to engaging this process so we can work to secure a new amended collective agreement.
We may not be able to provide details while discussions are ongoing, but we will provide dates of meetings and as much information on progress as we are able to.
If you have questions, please reach out to your bargaining committee members.
WPP management agrees to mediation and conciliation process
Tuesday Members’ Memo – March 28, 2023
The Western Producer management negotiating committee has responded to GSU and has agreed to the mediation and conciliation process. At this time, both sides are awaiting the appointment of a mediator from the Minister of Labour and Workplace Safety.
GSU is committed to the process and is looking forward to working with the members and the employer to negotiate a settlement that is workable for all.
Local 5 (Western Producer) members overwhelmingly reject employer offer
Tuesday Members’ Memo – Feb. 21, 2023
The ballots were counted on Feb. 16 and the overwhelming majority of Local 5 members who cast ballots (95.83%) voted to reject their employer’s offer to settle agreement renewal collective bargaining with the Western Producer.
Twenty-four of the 30 members of Local 5 voted, and 23 voted to reject the employer’s offer. Union members voted on the heels of an employer effort to sell the offer at a staff meeting held the same day as it was communicated to the Local 5 bargaining committee. GSU has advised that in the union’s view the employer’s actions constitute an unfair labour practice.
GSU has submitted notice of a collective bargaining impasse to Saskatchewan’s Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety pursuant to section 6-33 of Part VI of the Saskatchewan Employment Act. Such notice normally leads quickly to the conciliation/mediation process provided in the Act.
In this instance, however, GSU has received notice that the employer is challenging the applicability of the Saskatchewan Employment Act basis an allegation that the bargaining relationship with the Western Producer is the result of a voluntary recognition as opposed to a certification order issued by the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board (SLRB).
“GSU is contesting the employer’s position and will take legal steps to have the matter sorted out,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “The members of Local 5 have shown remarkable solidarity and determination in response and we will move forward together buoyed by their strong stance.”
Further updates will follow as developments occur.
Check your email for an important update
Feb. 17, 2023
An email update was sent to GSU Local 5 members at 3:45 PM on Feb. 17. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.
Additional background information is available here.