Happy 2019!
I hope you had the most wonderful and joyous of holidays with family and friends.
Looking back on 2018, it was a wonderfully busy year celebrating ASPA’s 40th anniversary of certification. Thank you to everyone who made the year a success and thank you to each of you who took the time to participate in the celebratory activities. As we look to the year ahead, preparations for collective bargaining are already underway. In February, ASPA will be sending out a pre-bargaining survey. We are hoping that you will take the time to fill out this out as it is will be important information for the bargaining team. Your executive will keep you updated as we get closer to the end of ASPA’s current collective bargaining agreement, which expires on April 30. We remain hopeful that CUPE 1975 and the University can reach a settlement without job action becoming necessary. We will, of course, support our colleagues just as we would want them to support our efforts at reaching a fair agreement. (Read the letter to President Stoicheff.)
Looking ahead, this year we will be holding our first social in February. An Eventbrite invitation in your inbox with the details. Come mingle with colleagues and your executive and enjoy some lovely appetizers.
I would like to begin the new year by offering my hearty thanks to all of the volunteers who help make ASPA the organization that it is and to take this opportunity to invite you to become involved. The Social Committee is looking to expand its membership. If you are interested and would like to attend a Social Committee meeting to find out more, contact henry@aspasask.ca. Interested in leading a one-time lunch hour activity on campus for ASPA members to interrupt the winter doldrums? Contact dan.zhao@usask.ca. For more information on current committees, visit https://aspasask.ca/2016/03/30/volunteering/. I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to consider joining the Executive when the call for nominations happens this spring. Do you prefer virtual volunteering or episodic volunteering? There’s a place for you too. Volunteering with ASPA is a wonderful way to meet people from all across campus. Working as an ASPA volunteer provides an opportunity to learn about ASPA’s role on campus and have more direct input into how ASPA runs. Now that ASPA has joined the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, there are more opportunities to learn about unions in the context of both Saskatchewan and the prairies. Volunteering with ASPA provides a chance to build your leadership skills and can also mean accessing additional Professional Development funds to help your career growth. We will be sending a survey to gauge interest in expanding ASPA communications into social media so watch for this invitation from Survey Monkey.
We, your vice-presidents, member services officer and myself, are looking forward to upcoming visits to Regina on February 1st and to Prince Albert on February 6th, weather permitting, for a meet-n-greet luncheon for ASPA members working in those areas. If this is you, please look forward to an email with time and location details.
Wishing you and yours the very best in the year ahead.
A Very Happy New Year from your ASPA Executive: Lisa Bagonluri, John Costa, Sheila ffoliott (Treasurer), Dawn Giesbrecht (VP), Jeff Humm, Peter Krebs, Andrea Smida, Henry Tan, John Wallace, Lavina Watts (VP), Curtis Larson; Executive Assistant Annetta Gellner, and Member Services Officer Darcy Hryn-Bird.
In Solidarity,
Joanie
ASPA (Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association) 