Archive for the ‘member emails’ Category
Save the Date – Annual General Meeting – April 14
Monday, February 2nd, 2026
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
7:00 PM
ONLINE
All signed* AESES union members are invited and encouraged to attend this year’s virtual AESES Annual General Meeting (AGM). In 2025, we had many members join us for the evening.
The AGM allows our executive team and committee chairs to review AESES financials with attendees, speak about the union’s activities, explain how our programs can benefit our membership, and preside over a question period.
Join us on April 14 to meet the people behind the decision-making process for spending your union dues and learn more about our programs and services. There will also be time for asking questions to members of the Executive Council and the Board.
Registration details and the 2025 AGM Annual Report will be available in March.
* Please note that only signed AESES members can attend the AGM and vote on any issues that arise. If you are interested in attending the AGM but not yet a signed member, please visit aeses.ca/membership to fill out a membership form.
Call for Volunteers – Committees and the Board
Monday, February 2nd, 2026
Help shape the future of AESES by filling an open position in these important roles!
- Diversity Committee
- University of Manitoba, Districts 01, 04, 07, 08, 30, 32, 34, 35, and 37
- The University of Winnipeg, Districts 52 and 56
- St. Andrew’s College, District 61
Contact the AESES Business Office at 204-949-5200 or aeses@aeses.ca to learn more.
AESES Announces New President – Karen Simpson
Thursday, January 15th, 2026
At the January 13, 2026, meeting of the AESES Board of Representatives, Karen Simpson was elected by acclamation for the position of President on the Executive Council for the term ending May 2026.
Karen has worked for the University of Manitoba, Bannatyne Campus for 44 years, starting in the Computer Department and currently with the Department of Psychiatry.
Karen recently held the roles of Interim President, Executive VP and VP Bannatyne, and was previously Secretary in May 2022-2024. Karen joined the AESES Board of Representatives in 2018 and has contributed in a number of capacities over the years, including serving on the Ad Hoc COVID Assistance Fund and Education Committees.
Karen is a dedicated, loyal and hardworking individual who is committed to the betterment of our members and looks forward to working with the Executive Council, Board of Representatives and the AESES Business Office staff in her new role.
Over the coming weeks, Karen will begin to adjust to the permanent role and their duties with the AESES Business Office. Welcome, Karen!
As a result, the roles as Exec VP and VP Bannatyne were vacated. Divjyot Grewal was elected as Executive VP (and remains VP Fort Garry campus). Danielle Saj was elected as VP Bannatyne campus. We congratulate Divjyot with their additional role and welcome Danielle to the Executive Council.
Each role’s term will end at the May 2026 Board meeting, once the new Board of Representatives and Executive Council is elected.
Thank you to our members for your patience and support during this period of change. We appreciate it.
Resignation of Rob Parker, AESES President
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025
The AESES Executive Council would like to share that Rob Parker has stepped down from his role as President and from his committee positions effective December 2, 2025. Rob has been an incredible asset to AESES, serving as President since September 2024 and contributing meaningfully in several capacities over the years, including in his work as UM Contract Administrator. His dedication, leadership, and commitment to supporting our members have had a lasting and positive impact on the organization.
Rob will be greatly missed, and we extend our sincere gratitude for his service and our very best wishes as he moves forward.
During this transition period, our Executive Vice-President, Karen Simpson, will serve as interim President. The Executive Council and AESES Business Office will continue to support members and carry out the work of the union without interruption. Further information about next steps will be shared with the membership as it becomes available.
In solidarity,
AESES Executive Council
2026 Proposed Budget
Monday, December 1st, 2025
Below is the AESES Finance Committee’s proposed budget for 2026. These estimates are subject to approval by the Board of Representatives at their meeting on December 9, 2025. AESES Proposed Budget 2026 (PDF)
President’s Message – December 2025
Monday, December 1st, 2025
Greetings, awesome AESES Members, and welcome to December – also known as “the month where we pretend we’re organized.”
The holiday season brings thoughts of family, whether near or far. And at holiday time, every family is a little loud, messy, and occasionally wonders who ate the last Quality Street (spoiler: it was absolutely someone in HR). Our union family is no different – we debate, we disagree, but when it matters most, we show up for one another. That’s what unions do. And ours does it pretty darn well.
For some of us, “home” means a packed living room full of relatives and one very confused dog. For others, it’s a phone call, a video chat, or sharing a moment across oceans and time zones. For many AESES members, it’s right here… on campus, in the office, in the classroom -standing shoulder to shoulder with coworkers who long ago stopped being “colleagues” and started being “the people who understand your workday horrors better than your actual family.”
Our membership includes folks from every background imaginable—different races, genders, languages, identities, faiths, and traditions. Some light candles. Some decorate trees. Some celebrate holidays at times the rest of us are unaware. Some celebrate by ignoring the holidays entirely and catching up on sleep (a noble and underrated custom).
We all share universal hopes – things like safety at work, dignity and respect, fair wages, and most importantly, time with the people we love and a future that is not just “surviving until Friday.”
Diversity isn’t a challenge – it’s our superpower. If the employer ever tries to divide us, they quickly discover it’s like trying to separate Tupperware lids from the containers: good luck, friend.
We’ve started or soon will start bargaining at both Universities. Together, we’re pushing for:
- Better wages, so members can enjoy the holidays without needing a spreadsheet to calculate gift affordability.
- Better benefits, so no one must choose between seeing a doctor and paying rent.
- Safer workplaces, so everyone goes home in one piece and not “creatively patched together with office supplies.”
Behind every bargaining proposal is a real person with a real family and real worries. A parent trying to say “yes” to a school trip. A worker caring for their aging parents. A member simply trying to make it through December without Windows updating at the worst possible moment (miracles do happen).
This season isn’t easy for everyone. Some members face illness, financial strain, grief, or isolation. A strong union family doesn’t forget them. We check in. We help. We make sure no one is left behind – because solidarity is more than chants and picket signs. It’s everyday acts of kindness, like sharing overtime fairly or welcoming a new co-worker instead of forcing them to find every elf on a shelf we’ve hidden in the Dean’s Office.
We don’t all experience the workplace the same way. Some members face racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or barriers due to disability or immigration status. Ignoring those realities doesn’t make us a family – it makes us a sitcom family that pretends everything’s fine while the house is literally on fire.
Listening, making space, and standing up for one another is what makes us strong. It is so important to:
- Honour our families – however they are made. We must keep fighting for the wages, protections, and time needed to care for them.
- Celebrate our diversity – not just in words, but in action, policy, contracts, and leadership.
- Live our solidarity – by supporting members who are struggling and showing up for one another with open hearts (and maybe baked goods).
In a world that tries hard to divide working people, let’s continue proving the opposite: that people with different stories can share one purpose and one fight.
Now, to wrap things up (see what I did there?)
Thank you for everything you do.
Thank you for the strength you bring.
And thank you for making AESES not just a union, but a family— … you know, the kind you might actually want to spend time with.
Wishing you peace, joy, good eats, cool treats, and time with the people (and pets) you love.
Here’s to new victories in the year ahead – won together, as one diverse and powerful union family.
I hope you all have a very happy holiday!
In Solidarity,
Rob
AESES Fall Education Seminars – Register Today!
Monday, October 20th, 2025
Fall Education Seminars
The AESES Education Committee would like to offer members additional seminars to help you welcome fall.
Registration is open.
- Understanding Credit & Debt Solutions (Virtual) | Thu., Nov. 6 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
- Fall Prevention | Thu., Nov. 13 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Introduction to Archery | Sat., Nov. 15 | 2:30 – 4:30 pmFULL- Labour Relations – Sick Leave and the Medical Accommodation Process (Virtual) | Tue., Nov. 18 | 6:00 – 8:00 pm
- Healthy Brains | Thu., Dec. 4 | 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Can You Tell Me: What is a Position Discontinuance?
Wednesday, October 1st, 2025
A Position Discontinuance refers to the removal of a particular job by the employer once they determine, for a variety of possible reasons, that it is no longer necessary. However, it is important to clarify for the member in the position that it is not the same as being fired or dismissed. A Position Discontinuance is about the removal of the job, not the member.
The Position Discontinuance process is described in Article 10 of both the AESES-UW and -UM Collective Agreements, and is similar but not exactly the same for each University. It begins when the employer provides written notice to the member that their position will be discontinued, notifies AESES, and schedules a meeting with the member and a union representative to discuss the process and the various options available through Article 10.
The notice period is 56 calendar days at UM and 40 working days at UW. During this period, the member continues to be paid normally, and may or may not continue to work. The primary goal during the notice period is to make the member whole by transferring them into a vacant job within the same classification, hours of work, and position category as the discontinued position. The member should also be able to perform the job with a minimal retraining period: 60 working days at UW, or 420 hours at UM. HR actively searches through job postings throughout the notice period to match these criteria.
If a transfer is not accomplished as outlined above, there are other choices and options available through Article 10. The details are similar between UW and UM, and also depend on the specific circumstances of the discontinued position. Some choices could include opting for the exercise of seniority or bumping, opting for severance based on the member’s seniority, either as a lump sum or biweekly payment period, or opting for a period of lay-off of up to a year in which the member retains their seniority.
A representative from AESES is available to the member for guidance starting from the initial Position Discontinuance meeting and throughout the process. The representative can help interpret the various decisions and their consequences provided under Article 10. AESES provides guidance and interpretation, but the choices are ultimately up to the member to make; there is no single, correct answer for every scenario.
AESES will always, furthermore, scrutinize the rationale provided by the employer when they discontinue a position. Legitimate reasons within the employer’s rights for discontinuing a position might include operational changes, organizational restructuring within a department, advances in technology, redundancy or reassignment of duties, expiry of grant funding, or budgetary constraints. AESES looks at each discontinuance on a case-by-case basis. It is important that AESES examines and understands the reason the decision was made in order to best inform and advise the member.
We encourage our members to reach out to the AESES Business Office with any questions or concerns related to the Position Discontinuance process or otherwise, at labourteam@aeses.ca or 204-949-5200.
President’s Message – October 2025
Wednesday, October 1st, 2025
Hello, and a happy fall to all, fellow AESES members!
As we begin another academic year, I want to extend a warm welcome back to all our members. September always seems to bring a fresh sense of excitement and anticipation, along with energy and renewal. Whether you’ve been away on vacation, enjoying time with family, or simply chilling at home, I hope your summer brought rest and renewed energy. Now, as we step into the Fall Term, AESES continues to work in support and advocate for the issues that matter most to members.
We’re excited to offer several upcoming opportunities to connect and learn together. Our Brown Bag Session: Classification Administration, will provide members a chance to ask questions to our knowledgeable Labour Relations Team regarding how classifications are initially set and the process of getting reclassified. These sessions are always well attended and can show you how to ensure you’re being compensated appropriately!
As well, members should watch for announcements of additional Fall Education Seminars. We plan to offer archery, as well as an ice fishing outing – complete with instruction and participation. These educational sessions are a great opportunity to meet and connect with other members who share the same interests.
With apologies in advance (I know, I know – it’s only OCTOBER for crying out loud!), I feel I should also mention that planning is already underway for our Annual Children’s Winter Holiday Extravaganza! This event is a highlight of the year, bringing families together for an afternoon of fun, laughter, and celebration. While the snow hasn’t arrived (yet), it’s never too early to mark your calendars for November 30th and anticipate the joy this gathering brings to our AESES family. Registration details are found in this issue of insideAESES.
With regard to bargaining, at The University of Winnipeg, bargaining is moving forward. With the Essential Services Agreement recently settled, the path is now clear to begin formal negotiations. This milestone is a significant one, and we will approach this process with the same diligence and determination that defines AESES’ work across both institutions.
Meanwhile, at the University of Manitoba, our Negotiation Committee has begun its important work. Meetings are currently taking place, and discussions will continue until the core bargaining proposals are finalized. Once this stage is complete, the smaller bargaining committee will be struck from the negotiations committee to carry forward the negotiations. These early steps are vital in setting the tone for bargaining, and we remain committed to ensuring that members’ voices and priorities guide every decision.
As always, we are reminded that the strength of AESES lies in its members – your contributions, insights, and willingness to stand together and support each other. Whether you join us at an educational outing, share your feedback at a Brown Bag Session, or attend the Children’s Winter Holiday Extravaganza or a Members’ Day Lunch, your involvement matters.
Thank you for your time, consideration, and support. All the best for a safe, happy, and productive Fall Term.
In Solidarity,
Rob
New Members, Union Dues, and Being a Signed Member
Wednesday, October 1st, 2025
Welcome to the over 600 new members from the beginning of this year! We are truly excited for you to join AESES because of your employment with the University of Manitoba, The University of Winnipeg or St. Andrew’s College.
Now that you are a member, you might have some questions about the union dues that are listed on your pay statement. Here’s the story behind how these dues were introduced, what it means to be a signed member and why they contribute to the strength of a union.
Union dues are deducted automatically from every unionized worker’s pay according to a legal precedent set in 1946 called the Rand Formula. The case involved a strike at a Ford auto manufacturing plant in Windsor, Ontario, by the United Auto Workers. Canadian Court Justice Ivan Rand acted as arbitrator in resolving the issues of the strike. As part of his remedies in the dispute, he established this practice of automatic deduction of dues from the wages of all workers in order to pay the union collectively. Prior to his decision, only signed union members paid dues, but non-members who did not pay still benefited from the union’s negotiated contract. Furthermore, the union had to approach signed members individually to collect dues monthly.
New AESES employees are often asked to become a signed member, and the distinction of signing membership may not be immediately clear. All AESES employees benefit from the provisions of the Collective Agreements negotiated with the employers, and therefore pay union dues, automatically deducted from their pay. Signed membership, however, is voluntary. Signing allows the member to participate fully in union activities (attend certain Association events, such as the annual Members’ Day Lunch, Children’s Winter Holiday Extravaganza, Spring and Fall Education Seminars, and the Annual General Meeting), hold roles on committees, and vote on collective decisions. This distinction ultimately derives from the Rand Formula and the precedent set in 1946.
AESES members currently contribute 1.00% of their gross pay as union dues, as per AESES By-Law 4.1. This rate is among the lowest in Canada. These dues are the way in which members of our bargaining unit collectively fund the work and functions of the union. Your dues provide the necessary funds to retain legal counsel for grievances and arbitration, and to provide education to members. AESES has created a substantial Defence Fund in order to support economic action and to cover legal costs that may arise in our ongoing efforts to defend the rights of our members.
If you are interested in becoming a signed member, please visit our membership information page and submit a membership form.