Dear Unit 2 Members (Sessional Faculty and Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty),
Based on gains secured to our benefits funds during our last round of collective bargaining, your Benefits Committee voted to expand your Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) entitlement. These gains could not have been secured without your support and mobilization during the bargaining process.
Members of CUPE 3906 Unit 2 (Sessional Faculty and Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty working at McMaster University) can now submit up to $800 in eligible expenses, and will receive a reimbursement of 100% of the cost (to a total maximum of $800 per academic year). (Previously, the maximum yearly entitlement by academic year was $500 total.)
If you have already submitted one (or several) expenses this academic year and have been reimbursed $500 (or less), you can re-submit expenses to have eligible, unpaid costs reimbursed up to the $800 maximum. (For example, if you submitted a claim for $600 worth of prescription eyewear on or after September 1, 2024, and received a $500 reimbursement, you can now re-submit the $600 to receive reimbursement for the outstanding $100.)
You can claim expenses incurred between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025, using the same form available on our website, here: https://cupe3906.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/501/cupe-u2-claim-form-july-2025.pdf
The Benefits Committee will review the feasibility of this entitlement for the 2025-2026 academic year, and we will notify members if the $800 entitlement changes.
For more information, including information on eligible expenses, how to submit a claim, etc., please visit https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/unit-2-benefits/
Congratulations to our Unit 2 members for your gains in negotiations. Please stay tuned for further benefits updates for the 2025-2026 academic year!