Labour in the News

Union workers get higher pay, if they can join

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Written by Hassan Kanu July 12, 20211:52 PM CST Last Updated 3 days ago

Hassen Kanu: https://www.reuters.com/authors/hassan-kanu/

(Reuters) – A Reuters analysis of two decades of wages for retail workers found that the pay advantage union workers have enjoyed over non-union employees in that sector is increasing.

The weekly pay differential between union and nonunion workers widened from $20 in 2013 to more than $50 in 2019, according to the July 9 report.

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Labour in the News

Sask. union says Crown-owned marketing firm’s rejection of planned billboard campaign amounts to ‘censorship’

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Carla Shynkaruk Video journalist

Josh Lynn Digital News Editor

Published Monday, July 12, 2021 2:37PM CST Last Updated Monday, July 12, 2021 6:52PM  

SASKATOON — The president of a union representing Saskatchewan service workers says Directwest’s refusal to run a marketing campaign critical of the Scott Moe government amounts to “censorship.”

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Labour in the News

Government of Canada reaches first collective agreement for RCMP members and reservists

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NEWS PROVIDED BY Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada 

Jun 28, 2021, 14:22 ET

OTTAWA, ON, June 28, 2021 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada is committed to establishing a modern labour relations regime for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with the National Police Federation (NPF) to establish a first collective agreement for RCMP members and reservists. This agreement follows legislation passed in 2017 allowing RCMP regular members and reservists to unionize and bargain collectively for the first time.

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Member Highlights, What's Happening on ASPA's Prince Albert and Regina Campus'

ASPA Member Highlight – Lindsay Dahl, Provincial Lab Manager, College of Nursing, Regina Campus

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Written by Karen E. Mosier

Lindsay Dahl obtained a BScN through the University of Saskatchewan in 2007. She graduated from SIAST in 2007. In 2013 Lindsay joined the College of Nursing, worked full-time in a non-union position.  In June 2019 her role was restructured, changing from overseeing the south to overseeing the whole province. Her position is provincial lab manager for the College of Nursing, Regina campus, University of Saskatchewan.     

Lindsay oversees all the distributive nursing labs across the province i.e., Regina, Yorkton, PA, La Ronge, and Ile a la Crosse. She organizes all the equipment, orders supplies for all the sites, and connects with faculty ahead of the start of their course. She has 3 support staff who are the hands on the ground on a day to day basis in the labs located in PA, Regina and Yorkton. The northern labs have people working in the labs who are not from the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Nursing, rather they are hired by the Northlands Community College.  

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President's Message

ASPA President’s Update – June 2021

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LaVina Watts, ASPA President

Summer greetings to all my fellow ASPA members! My name is LaVina Watts and at the May 2021 ASPA executive meeting I was selected to be president for 2021-22. I am so honoured to be able to serve you in the role of President. Being your Vice-President over the past 3 years, I made some meaningful connections with the University leadership and I hope to bring that experience and knowledge to the role of president and to serve you and your interests. I am also very happy to share that your current Vice-Presidents are Chris O’Grady and Erin Walling.  I am thrilled to be working with both of them and I know they will work hard for each of you.

I wish to thank Curt Larson for his leadership over the past 2 years, as well as his previous time as president. He made some incredible strides during his term of office and I hope to keep that momentum going.

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Member Interest Articles

Performing Random Acts of Kindness in the Workplace

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Written by Karen E. Mosier

Practicing kindness in the workplace is a great way to spread some positivity. In addition, doing random acts of kindness is a great way to boost your own mood and health and it also promotes good feelings and makes people more likely to ‘pay it forward’.

Consider these three ways you can practice kindness in your workplace:

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Labour in the News

THE COVID-19 UNION WAVE

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Organizing Retail Workers from Coast to Coast

BY SARAH NAFISA SHAHID AND DAN DARRAH   JUNE 10, 2021  

The story of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada — now over a year in its writing — has also inevitably become a story about work. Overnight, “essential” entered day-to-day vocabulary to describe those workers whose in-person jobs our society couldn’t function without. Many workers temporarily enjoyed fanfare and public appreciation. Others even briefly received hazard pay.

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Did You Know?

Did You Know? – Position Review

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Did you know that ASPA members or their supervisor could request a review of their position once every twelve (12) month period if they felt that the position might not be in the correct Family or Phase? (Article 9.1.2 of the ASPA Collective Agreement) 

The duties of a position may alter over time or particularly in the first year of a new position.  To ensure that the duties of the position are being correctly classified, the member or their supervisor may seek to have the position reviewed by U of S Compensation (compensation_inquiries@usask.ca ). 

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Awards

2021 University Staff Excellence Award Recipients

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The University Staff Excellence Award recognizes staff members who have achieved excellence while demonstrating dedication and commitment to the university’s Mission, Vision and Values in support of the University Plan 2025. In 2021, the program gave special recognition to those individuals who made exceptional contributions through the unexpected challenges of the pandemic, enabling the university to succeed through these extraordinary times. This year they received 41 nominations for this award.

Congratulations to the five award recipients who are all ASPA members as well:

  • Yvette Arcand, Acting Director, the Indian Teacher Education Program, College of Education
  • Wendy James, Manager, Professional and Curriculum Development, Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning
  • Majak Mapiour, Chemical and Biological Engineering Laboratory Coordinator, College of Engineering
  • Kurtis Swekla, Acting University Veterinarian and Director of Animal Ethics, Office of the Vice President Research
  • Carrie Verishagen, Director, Eat Well Saskatchewan, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition