SGEU is a democratic organization. That means decisions within the union are made by elected members.

The highest of these decision-making bodies is the annual SGEU Convention. Once a year, delegates gather to discuss and vote on resolutions, and elect certain union representatives.

In between conventions, the affairs and governance of the union are managed by Provincial Council.

Provincial Council

Provincial Council is a governing body made up of members elected from each sector/local of SGEU. Each sector receives one representative for each four hundred members, with each sector receiving a minimum of three representatives no matter its size.

The council meets quarterly to discuss the direction of the union and ensure union activities are aligned with the strategic plan. When Provincial Council is not in session, an Administration Committee made up of the Provincial Council table officers acts on the council’s behalf.

Provincial Council table officers

The table officers of Provincial Council are:

Elected at Convention

• President
  • Serves as the union’s chief representative and spokesperson
  • Guides the union’s strategic direction, vision and priorities
  • Promotes the image and reputation of the union
  • Chairs the Convention, Provincial Council and Administration Committee
  • Ensures constitution, bylaws and policies are followed
  • Works with other unions, federations and community organizations
• 1^st Vice-President
  • Ensures adherence to all financial policies affecting elected members
  • Reviews approved financial statements of sectors/locals
  • Maintains accurate records of proceedings from PC meetings
• NUPGE Vice-President
  • Represents SGEU on the Executive Board of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
• SFL Vice-President
  • Represents SGEU on the Executive Board of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL)
• Indigenous Vice-President
  • Advocates for all Indigenous members of SGEU at both the Provincial Council and Admin Committee levels

Elected by sectors

• Sector vice-presidents
  • Represent their respective sectors on Provincial Council and serve on the union’s Administration Committee

Q&A with SGEU President Tracey Sauer

What does a typical Provincial Council meeting look like?

Provincial Council meets four times a year, with special meetings called when required. These meetings are an opportunity for elected representatives to discuss what is going on in our union, how we can support one another, and how we can support our strategic plan.

Prior to each meeting, every table officer and standing committee chair, as well as the Executive Director, submits a report. We have implemented a consent agenda for our meetings, which means that reports and other routine, non-controversial items are compiled so they can be approved in one action. That frees up time during the meeting for discussions around items of high importance or that require motions. However, items included in the consent agenda are able to be discussed separately if a motion is passed during the meeting to do so.

What is the role of the sector representatives on Provincial Council?

Every sector elects members to Provincial Council based on a formula in the SGEU constitution. Although these members are representatives of those sectors, their duty of care is to SGEU. So, they know they are meant to leave their sector hats at the door and engage in conversation that puts SGEU as a whole first.

SGEU is membership driven. Being membership driven means that these elected representatives assist us in bringing forth feedback about how members are being affected within their locals, sectors and bargaining units. And we incorporate this feedback to ensure the strategic plan represents the voice of the membership.

The other role of sector representatives is to report back to the members who elected them. In order to assist with reporting, at the end of every meeting we’ve initiated a process where we all discuss the key points to report back and provide it to members in a written report. This ensures everyone has a clear picture of what occurred in the meeting and can share information with their fellow members.

What sort of training do members receive when they are elected to Provincial Council?

We do quite a lot of governance training. This is important because we take an oath of office to safeguard and protect the assets of the union and to uphold our constitution and policies. To do that, we need to provide training so that members understand their roles.

It's been a learning process for everybody, but it’s a huge responsibility. SGEU is a union and our members count on us to make the right decisions to protect them. So we have to ensure that when we’re making decisions it’s in the best interest of the union as a whole, and when we’re spending union dollars we need to remember that those are membership dues and we need to spend them as if they are coming out of our pocket—because they are.

What is Provincial Council’s role in union budgeting?

Before resolutions for constitution or policy changes are voted on at Convention, they must be approved at Provincial Council. The biggest resolution we consider is the budget.

Through our financial budgeting, we get a projected revenue for the year ahead. On the operations side, we have discussions around membership needs and how we can meet those needs. Then, the executive leadership team, made up of the President, 1^st Vice-President, Executive Director and the directors of each department within SGEU, discusses how best to fill those needs and presents it back to Provincial Council to approve.

Provincial Council is tasked with governing union business. This includes ensuring the budget aligns with the strategic plan. Each provincial council standing committee is given the opportunity to present their budget request to the Administration Committee. Once the request has been reviewed by the President, 1^st Vice-President, Executive Director and the Director of Finance, the Administration Committee finalizes a draft budget and presents it to Provincial Council.

A lot of thought goes into this process. Often, we cut budget requests, but there are also times we’ve increased them. These decisions are ultimately made based on member needs.

Provincial Council also recommends an operating budget for the sectors, which is in addition to the dues each sector/local receives as a refund based on their membership.

What is something the average member might not know about Provincial Council that you think is important to know?

The average member might not know about the serious discussions and debates we have when it comes to the membership dues. When we decide to raise dues or make changes to the budget, there’s a lot of debate, thought and research that goes into it. When we make a decision—the decision to sponsor an organization or an event, for instance—we look at the strategic plan and ask, “does that fall within our strategic plan?” and “what is the return on investment on that decision?”

What would you say to a member wanting to get more involved in the union?

It’s just like the airport—put your mask on first before assisting someone else.

The first step for any member who wants to get involved in their union is to learn their collective agreement. You need to learn how to take care of yourself first before you can begin helping others. It’s just like the airport—put your mask on first before assisting someone else.

So, learn your collective agreement. Ask your stewards questions. Become a steward. Attend your local meetings. Attend your Annual General Meetings/Biennial General Meetings (AGM/BGMs). Sign up for one of the SGEU training programs or conferences. Ask questions. Find a committee or role that interests you and reach out to those people in your sector to have a conversation. Offer them some ideas. When we send out a call for volunteers, volunteer.

Take the little steps first, then decide where you’d like to get more involved and start your journey.