Finally, some good news! We are pleased to announce that CUPE 3906’s first-ever Gender Affirmation Fund is officially up and running. Unit 1 members (TAs and RAs in-lieu) who identify as Two Spirit, trans, or nonbinary can now be reimbursed for a wide array of costs associated with their gender affirmation, to a maximum of $1,250 per year and a lifetime cap of $2,500. To read more about the Gender Affirmation Fund, including eligibility criteria and instructions on how to submit a claim, click here.

We’d like to thank our sister Locals like CUPE 3902 and CUPE 4600, who have led the charge in providing benefits like these to academic workers at U of T and Carleton, respectively. Their own Trans Funds served as great examples after which we could model our own Gender Affirmation Fund. Many thanks, also, to the trans and nonbinary members of CUPE 3906 who assisted in the creation of this fund and the relevant application materials. Your input has been invaluable to ensuring that the Gender Affirmation Fund addresses the needs of those for whom this benefit is intended.