Abstract
Shayne Meggs, ASPA’s Member Services Officer, shares highlights from his first few months in the role, supporting members through workplace challenges, labour relations issues, and collective bargaining preparations. His work includes attending meetings with the employer, participating in joint committees, and negotiating settlements on behalf of members and the union.
My First Few Months at ASPA
By Shayne Meggs, Member Services Officer
It’s been an amazing start to my time at ASPA. The Presidents, Executive, and members have all been incredibly welcoming and supportive. I want to extend a special thank you to Angeline, our Financial and Administrative Assistant, who has been instrumental in onboarding me to ASPA and helping me navigate the university more broadly.
Over the past three months, I’ve been familiarizing myself with the university, its acronyms, people, policies, and of course, the Collective Agreement. The University of Saskatchewan is a unique place, and I find myself learning something new every day (sometimes for better, sometimes for worse!).
As ASPA’s Member Services Officer, my role is quite diverse. I support members and the organization in a variety of ways, including:
- Answering questions about the Collective Agreement
- Assisting members in navigating interpersonal challenges with people leaders
- Coaching members on how to raise concerns or advocate for themselves in the workplace
A significant portion of my time is spent on labour relations matters. A few examples include:
- Supporting members through discipline or layoff processes
- Addressing issues related to merit, leaves, and flex time provisions
- Helping members navigate Article 9.1.2: the “Review of Position Job Family and/or Phase” process, which allows employees or managers to request a review to ensure a position is appropriately classified
I regularly attend meetings with the employer, including joint committees and individual member meetings. For matters such as discipline, fact-finding, probation reviews, or layoffs, union representation is expected — and I’m usually the one attending. But members are welcome to request union support for other meetings as well. If you’re ever called to a meeting or would like to initiate one and want a union representative present, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Another important part of my work involves negotiating settlements on issues affecting both individual members and ASPA as a whole. These can range from resolving disputes informally to working through more complex matters that require strategic resolution.
One exciting part of my role is supporting collective bargaining. While our current agreement doesn’t expire until April 2026, preparations are already underway. We have an information session scheduled for later this month, are developing a pre-bargaining survey, and will be creating many opportunities for member input and participation as we move closer to the bargaining period.
I’m grateful to be part of ASPA and look forward to continuing to support our members and strengthen our collective voice.