Hello everyone! I hope you had an opportunity to enjoy summer and were able to take some time for leisure and connecting with near and dear ones.
I’d also like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance and guidance I continually receive from past ASPA leaders. Recognition is also due to our current Vice Presidents, Philip Hitchings, and Dawn Giesbrecht, who are providing impartial insights that aid us in steering ASPA in the right direction. Furthermore, I want to recognize the executive members for their contributions in devising various initiatives to enhance the membership experience. Our association is fortunate to have an exceptional contingent of ASPA members who volunteered their time for various committees. I encourage all ASPA members who can find some time to volunteer for ASPA committees and consider running for future leadership roles.
I would also like to mention that our ASPA staff members – Glenn Billingsley and Emily Hinatsu – have been doing an incredible job over the last several months and without their invaluable support, we would not run like a well-oiled machine.
Finally, I would also like to thank Ken Glover for his work continually providing IT support to ASPA.
ASPA Updates:
Executive Committee
The new Executive Committee members assumed office as of May 1, 2023, and we held our first meeting on May 09, 2024. During that meeting, four leadership roles were filled for 2024-2025, including Philip Hitchings and Dawn Giesbrecht as Vice-Presidents, Erica Li-Humen as Treasurer, and I was voted into the role of President.
The other members of the Executive are as follows:
- Aditya Manek
- Dawn Giesbrecht
- Edith Conacher
- Erica Li-Humen
- Evan Potts
- John Costa
- Julie Maier
- LaVina Watts
- Paige Larsen
- Patrick Hauser
- Philip Hitchings
- Simona Meier
The Executive met June 14, 2024, for a full day meeting at the beautiful Wanuskewin Heritage Park to discuss the goals and changes they would like to accomplish this year. One of the major goals was providing more opportunities for professional development to ASPA members and encouraging the executive to focus on training needed to gear up for union activities such as bargaining and overall development of our union.
In August of this year, the ASPA leadership team and staff visited our satellite campuses in Regina and Prince Albert to connect with our ASPA members and understand their needs and queries. These visits were well attended by members of the satellite campuses, and we have a great exchange of information.
General Membership
The ASPA membership continues to stay strong with 1646 members as of this month. Fluctuations in membership numbers are usually due to casual employees, such as marker/proctors.
Overview of Membership Numbers
- As of June 1, 2024 – 1602 Members
- As of July 1, 2024– 1620 Members
- As of August 1, 2024 – 1636 Members
- As of September 1, 2024 – 1632 Members
Standing Committees
Communications and Public Relations Sub-Committee (Part of Engagement Committee)
This committee has been working hard to improve membership engagement and transparency on what goes on behind the scenes, while updating some of our communications processes and tools.
There is a “Suggestion Box” on the website, which you can find it at aspasask.ca on the right-hand sidebar. Please feel free to leave any of your comments and suggestions for the Executive Committee. Changes have been made to ensure it is anonymous for those who chose to be.
Education Sub-Committee (Part of Engagement Committee)
Four (4) ASPA members including myself attended the collective bargaining strategy course offered by the Edward School of Business in May 2024. This course was very informative, and I can tell from personal experience that I feel better equipped for the next round of bargaining.
The Education Committee has facilitated the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Conference held by the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) in Regina September 18-20, 2024, ASPA has taken care of three (3) of those members.
There was a Lunch and Learn session about Pensions on September 26, 2024. This session was presented by Doral Johnson, Manager of Pensions. It was well attended by a total of 120 ASPA members (in-person and online combined). If you were unable to attend this session, you can access the recording on our ASPA website.
Social Sub-Committee (Part of Engagement Committee)
After a hiatus of one year, we had the “All Unions Pancake Breakfast” on September 5, 2024, at our Saskatoon campus, which was jointly sponsored by ASPA, CUPE 1975, and USFA. Culinary Services did a fantastic job of organizing it for us and approximately 600 people attended this event. A big thank you to all the volunteers and organizers for such an amazing event.
Research Committee
The Research Committee has remained available to respond to Executive and member requests. New activities are being planned for the fall term.
General Office
As a reminder, our Financial and Administrative Assistant, Emily Hinatsu, is in our general office and is available to help answer your questions. The ASPA office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm, 304 Kirk Hall, or 302 Kirk Hall on Fridays. Please feel free to contact us any time at 306.966.2471, by email at aspa@aspasask.ca, or by stopping by.
Member Services
ASPA’s member services officer, Glenn has been busy addressing grievance cases and communicating with our ASPA members.
If you have any questions or would like information regarding your union, if you believe you are being treated unfairly, or in ways that do not align with your contract, our member services officer is designated to advocate on your behalf. Please connect with Glenn. His office is in Kirk Hall 302 and can be reached at glenn@aspasask.ca or 306.966.7392.
In solidarity,
Aditya Manek,
ASPA President (2024 – 2025)