Dear Sessionals,
We wanted to send a quick message marking the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the winter semester. Our office is closed until January 5, 2026, but we have been receiving a few questions over the break about pay dates, benefits access, and the post-contract work. You can find information about all of these things, and more, below. Happy New Year!
Final Payment (Fall)/First Payment (Winter)
The final pay of the fall semester arrived in your account on Friday December 12th and covered the period from November 23rd until December 6th. All work was paid for at this point, though we understand that some of you had final exams or grading to complete past that date (though some of you did not). Either way, that was the date that the contract was paid in full, even if there was some outstanding work to be done. For those of you teaching in the winter semester, the first pay of the semester will be January 23rd. You can see the full pay schedule for 2025/26 here.
Large Class Supplement
We have heard that some sessionals have yet to be paid the Large Class Supplemental Fee. For those of you earning the base rate ($8,922.68 for 3.0 units) and teaching a class with more than 75 students, please note that your last pay stub should have reflected an additional supplementary payment of $3.00 per student per unit for each student above 75. For a typical 3-unit course, this would amount to $9.00 per student for each student above 75. If you are earning the base rate, have taught a class with more than 75 students, and you have yet to see the supplemental fee added, please reach out to us immediately. This fee applies differently to those of you earning over the base rate – please reach out with any questions. The amount was increased from $2.00 to $3.00 effective September 1, 2025 through collective bargaining and the support we received from members.
Post-Contract work
Any post-contract work (that is, work requested by your supervisor and done after your final grades have been submitted) is separate from your contract and payable at a rate of $78.78/hour. This would include reviewing grades that are being challenged, marking exams that have been deferred, and dealing with cases of plagiarism. This is not an exhaustive list, and more information, including the appropriate form you’ll need to fill out and submit to get paid, is available here. If you are asked to perform this work and are collecting EI, please let us know.
Once your final marks were submitted (the main list of students – this does not need to include any deferred exams or extensions based on accommodations), your contract was over, and this triggered the beginning of the post-contract period.
Employment Insurance
The final pay of the fall semester was December 6th. This final pay triggered what Service Canada refers to as an ‘interruption of earnings’ and, for those of you who apply to Employment Insurance, should be the date you list on your EI application as the last pay date (not the date for which you were last paid). The ‘day for which you were last paid’ and your ‘last day worked’ should be listed as December 4th. We would encourage all Sessionals who may utilize Employment Insurance at any point in 2026 to apply as soon as possible, even if you are employed during the winter term.
The first pay in the winter term, for those of you who are employed, will be on January 23rd and the first day of work will be January 5th. This means you might be able to collect EI from December 5th to January 4th if you have enough insurable hours. For information on EI, click here.
In certain instances, it is possible to both work and collect EI (with some clawbacks) if the amount of work have in the winter has dropped substantially from the work you had during the fall term. Please direct all questions to Service Canada.
The employer has already uploaded your ROE automatically to Service Canada, so you can apply to EI if you plan to utilize EI in the winter.
Please note that all EI decisions rest with My Service Canada and they determine the rules, eligibility, and guidelines. The dates listed above are accurate and you may or may not qualify for EI depending on individual circumstances, hours worked, eligibility guidelines, etc.
Professional Development
For those of you who are curious, applications made to the Professional Development Fund this past semester were adjudicated earlier this month, cheques were mailed out, and should arrive shortly if they have not already.
If you’ve missed the previous fall semester’s deadline, no worries, you can submit throughout the upcoming winter semester.
Health Spending Account
A quick reminder that your Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) entitlement was recently increased to $800 per academic year. The fund covers the cost of various health care related expenses (as approved by Revenue Canada) and provides a tax-free reimbursement to you. More information is available here: https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/unit-2-benefits/
There is no cost or fee to you. The fund is secured through collective bargaining and made available to members to use as needed. Please note that if you worked in the fall, you will have HCSA entitlement and dental insurance entitlement until August 30, 2026.
First Consideration Appointments
One major question we get related to seniority relates to job security. Sessionals have job security in the form of First Consideration Appointments. These function in the same way as a right of first refusal. First Consideration Appointments are a form of job security that occurs when you are appointed to a course without having to apply to it through a competitive application process.
You become eligible for a Standard First Consideration Appointment when you have taught the course for two consecutive appointments after applying to teach it in two open competitions. With First Consideration, you are entitled to be appointed to that course, without it being posted or you needing to apply for it, the next three times that it is offered to Sessional Faculty.
Members who have completed a Standard First Consideration Appointment are then eligible for an Enhanced First Consideration Appointment. When the course is posted again and you are hired in an open competition, you are then entitled to be appointed to that course, without needing to apply for it, the next four times that the course is offered to Sessionals.
Once you have secured a Standard or Enhanced First Consideration, the department can extend your appointment and continue to appoint you directly.
