ASPA News

ASPA continues to have several open grievances, eighteen (18) to be exact.  To date, of those eighteen (18); ten (10) were filed in 2020.  This compares to the eight (8) and nineteen (19) filed in 2019 and 2018, respectively.  We have however over the recent months been able to resolve a few the grievances related to the Employer’s failure to deduct Association dues.  Many of these grievances have been resolved by having positions moved within the scope of ASPA that were not previously in any bargaining unit.  The theme of the other bulk of our grievances relate to the assertion that the employer has wrongfully laid off a member. Continue reading

Written by Karen E. Mosier

Nicole has been on campus since 1991 when she started a job in the Department of Plant Sciences as a Research Assistant. In 1999, she received her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Agricultural Biology Major with Minor in Microbiology) and a Bachelor of Science in Biology both from the University of Saskatchewan. In November 2004, she accepted a position as a Grants Officer in Research Services. This position has changed in job title and office name, to her current position as Research Support Specialist housed within Connection Point but reporting to RASI (Research Acceleration and Strategic Initiatives).    Continue reading

The results of the vote for the new collective agreement are in and the membership voted 92.5% in favour of accepting the agreement so it has now been ratified by the membership. 978 members out of a possible 1317 participated in the vote which is a great participation rate and speaks to how engaged all of you were through this process and as I have said before, this sends a strong message to administration that you care about what happens at the university and will put ASPA in a strong position in the next round of bargaining. I want to thank all of you for your feedback during the information sessions and for those who emailed us throughout, we listened to all of you and while not everyone will be happy with the results your feedback will be taken into consideration by the executive when we enter the next round of bargaining in just over 18 months. Continue reading

Use your benefits! Your benefits are designed to support your health.  Make sure you are using them!  Did you know... Your benefits may cover: Vitamins & supplementsNutrition programs and counsellingWeight management programs (excluding food)Fitness equipmentPersonal trainersSmoking cessation programs Self-care habits Most of these services are covered under your benefits: See a chiropractorGo for a massagePhysiotherapistGo for regular dental check-upsTake advantage of Wellness events on campusGet… Continue reading

There are a number of benefits associated with regular physical activity and even more so in our present times. Here a few of the benefits of staying active while working from home: Continue reading

Written by Karen E. Mosier

Do you ever have days where you are motivated, focused, alert and get large amounts of work done but on other days you just stare at your computer screen and find yourself simply going through the motions? We all need to be inspired to do our best. Developing self motivation can help give you the push you may need to accomplish a difficult task and to get your spark back at work. Use these real and practical solutions to dig up your lost motivation and get the job done with a sense of passion. Continue reading

Written by Curtis Larson, September 2020

Fall officially arrives next week but I think many of us thought it arrived a couple of weeks ago when it hit -6C overnight. The warm weather has come and gone and the new academic term has begun. It will definitely be a different academic year with the hybrid approach to program delivery, but we are all back providing the support and coordination to make it happen. Continue reading

Introduction

ASPA Research Committee conducted an online survey from July 20-29, 2020 to gather feedback from ASPA members about how working remotely from home as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted their lives. The short survey gathered insights on both the challenges and benefits members have observed while working at home for the last four months, after a rapid shift to work from home started in March 2020. Additionally, data were collected on members’ perspectives in relation to continuing working from home and returning to university offices. A total of 662 surveys were completed, representing a 46% response rate.  The ASPA Research Committee would like to sincerely thank everyone who took time from their busy lives and participated in the survey. This article provides an overview of the survey results. Continue reading

We are very pleased to announce that your bargaining team has reached a new tentative collective agreement with the University of Saskatchewan, subject to ratification by the membership. We will be presenting the details of this agreement to you very soon by online town halls and making the presentation with details of the agreement available online so that everyone has a chance to review and make an informed decision prior to the online voting period. The bargaining team is recommending a yes vote for this agreement. Continue reading

Written by Karen E. Mosier

Bonita has been on campus for much of her adult life. From a young age, she had a strong interest in the natural world and came to the University of Saskatchewan to pursue that interest. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology (1989), and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (1997), both from the University of Saskatchewan. Bonita has worked continuously on campus since September 1989 but had worked as a secretary and an undergraduate student research hire prior to that time. In 1989, she started working as a Research Technician with the Crop Development Centre, followed by several years with the Department of Biology, and then moved over to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In 2000, she accepted a new position as Administrative Assistant with the Department of Biology where she stayed for 12 years. She accepted a promotion in 2012 to become the Finance and Operations Manager with the Department of Chemistry.  Continue reading