Did you know that travelling for work related activities is considered work time?
Did you know that the University has a policy and procedure regarding travel and travel expenses?
If you travel for work related activities, the time you travel is considered work time and you should be compensated accordingly. If you are required to travel off campus or away from your principal office/work location for University business then you can claim expenses incurred and the time travelling is considered work time. Read More
By Andrew Stevens and Charles Smith
Saskatchewan’s 2017 budget landed with an unenthusiastic thud last week. Riddled with cuts, job losses, public sector wage reductions, and tax increases, the Saskatchewan Party’s austerity budget has garnered few friends, with critics ranging from organized labour movement to small businesses. The government’s budget has several fiscal goals: aggressively tackle its $1.3-billion deficit in three short years, overhaul the tax structure away from progressive forms of taxation to consumption taxes, and dismantle key aspects of the social welfare state. Read more!
Jacobin, December 27
When we think of strikes, we usually think of disputes over wages and benefits. Strikes make the case that it’s easier for bosses to pay workers more than to run a company without them. But unions often fight for more than money. Workers can walk off the job to demand new rights at work, fighting for control over their working conditions.
Posted March 9, 2017 By Alia Karim and David Bush
On Monday striking York food service workers, represented by Unite Here Local 75, voted to accept their new contract. The workers went on strike for and won a $15/hour starting wage and fair working conditions. Their victory paves the way for workers right across the province to achieve $15 and fairness.
The workers won major improvements to their contract in the nearly three week strike. They will see an immediate bump in their starting wage from $12.21 per hour to $13.21, which will apply retroactively back to last September. There will be a further wage increase this coming September and by the end of the first year of the contract the starting wage for all workers will be $15. Read more!
Immediate family of ASPA members can apply for consideration under the Tuition Reimbursement Fund (TRF), if they are registered students at the University of Saskatchewan. The eligibility criteria states the following (for more details refer to Article 12.12 in the Collective Agreement)
12.12.1 Eligibility Criteria
The TRF is open to students who are immediate family members (spouses, partners, and children) of Association members¹.
In order to be eligible, applicants must have successfully completed one or more University of Saskatchewan courses that qualify for credit toward a degree or diploma program.
The Student and Enrolment Services Division (SESD) at the University administers the fund. Read More
At the AGM, the Executive will present various reports about ASPA activities. As well, several positions on the Executive need to be filled; please consider volunteering for the Executive. A nomination form is available here on the ASPA website.
Years-of-service awards will be handed out to members who have reached benchmark years of service within the scope of ASPA at the U of S. Should you be one of the recipients, you will receive a separate announcement about this before the AGM.
ASPA Social following the AGM: please join us for good company and refreshments at the University Club, 4:00 – 6:00 pm.
There are spaces left on the CUPE bus from Saskatoon to head to the Rally in Regina on March 8, 2017. The bus details are as follows:
SASKATOON TO REGINA (RETURN) – CUPE BUS (Prince Albert Northern)
Boarding: 7:30 a.m. at the parking lot near Cabela’s
Note: Same location as SGEU bus loading area.
Depart: 8:00 a.m.
Destination: Legislative Building in Regina for 11:30 a.m. Return to Saskatoon same day.
To reserve a seat on the bus, please email two addresses and provide your name and cell phone number for the day of the rally for the bus roll – call:
Carla (CUPE – Saskatoon Bus Captain) at: misssask@gmail.com AND copy: cupesask@sasktel.net
Please ensure you have reserved a seat on the bus so it does not leave without you.
Thanks – ASPA Executive
Dear ASPA Members and Colleagues,
The Saskatchewan Government Employees Union is calling all public sector union members in this province to a labour rally at the Provincial Legislature on March 8, at noon.
The purpose of the rally is to draw attention to detrimental consequences of reducing investments in the public sector, including education, health, social services, and infrastructure.
There is an expectation that public sector workers, which includes us, should sacrifice to balance the budget even though public employees have not been a major contributor to rising government expenditures. (Government to blame for the deficit crisis, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Feb. 13, 2017)
Please review the supplied rally poster to find out details about the event. We hope that many of you are interested, wiling, and able to join the event. If you can, please consider attending the rally.
Province looking for help tackling $1B deficit
CBC News Posted: Jan 16, 2017 12:03 PM CTLast Updated: Jan 16, 2017 12:03 PM CT
Education Minister Don Morgan ordered school boards to look for ways to reduce compensation costs in a written directive on Friday. (Don Somers/CBC)
The Saskatchewan government has ordered school boards to look at cost-cutting measures to help reduce the province’s $1-billion deficit.
On Friday, school division board chairs received a written directive to cap their next budget for employee compensation. Read More
Way to go, Jay Shanahan!
The ASPA Executive was very excited to learn about the selection of our former Executive member Jay Shanahan as a participant in the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference 2017 (GGCLC). The conference: “brings together Canada’s emerging leaders from business, labour, government, NGOs, education and the cultural sector for a unique two-week experience aimed at broadening their perspectives on work, leadership, their communities and their country”
Before Jay left the ASPA Executive and the university in the fall of 2016, he began the application process to become one of the 250 participants in this illustrious event. This process included a written application and an interview, in a competitive selections process to identify the best candidates from almost 1500 applicants from across the country. Jay was selected as one of 65 labour representatives in the total cohort of 258 conference participants.
Following an opening plenary session of three days, conference participants will be divided into 16 study groups. Each group will travel to a different region of the country, and over the course of 8 days interact and engage with municipal leaders, grassroots activists, and community organizations. A three day closing plenary will conclude the conference activities. For more detailed information, visit http://www.leadershipcanada.ca/about-the-ggclc/format/.
The ASPA Executive members congratulate Jay Shanahan on this accomplishment.
