There was a deteriorating and unproductive relationship between the S-G-E-U bargaining committee and SIAST.

This from the secretary treasurer of the newly certified SIAST Faculty Association, Warren White.

The S-F-A has officially pulled out of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union, and will represent itself during the next set of bargaining talks.

White says their faculty is made up of some 15 hundred experts whose knowledge and expertise isn't being utilized -- adding that in the past, faculty have felt 'left out' of the bargaining process.

Along with the move out of the S-G-E-U, the new faculty association says they will immediately reduce union dues paid by members from 1 point 9 per cent down to 1 point 7 per cent, with a goal of further reducing those dues to 1 point 3 per cent in the future.

The next round of bargaining is set to get underway soon; the previous contract expired on June 30th, 2012.

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The Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union says they will work with the SIAST Faculty Association to ensure a smooth transition for the new organization.

The move affects about 15 hundred union members who will now be members of the SIAST Faculty Association.