The CUPE 3906 Potluck Picnic
Sign up now to take part in the potluck! Once you have signed up through the form, you can come pick up a $25 Food Basics grocery card at the union office on campus, to buy ingredients and cook a meal you would love to share. Besides the food we will all bring, the organizers will also be supplying hot drinks to stay warm 🙂
September General Membership Meeting – Sept 20th at 2 pm (online)
CUPE 3906 will be hosting it’s first General Membership Meeting, or GMM, of the new academic year on Wednesday, September 20th at 2 p.m. Due to scheduling and room availability on campus (which is especially busy this time of year) the meeting will be in an on-line only format. We expect to be back with hybrid meetings for our October 18th meeting.
You can find the registration link for the September GMM here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tceygrTwiHdO8tI_-UE-F5wlN1-Efo5dI
At this meeting, we will be holding elections for Vice President and Chief Steward, Unit 3. The latter position is restricted to current postdoctoral fellows. We will also be presenting and voting upon an operating budget for the 2023-24 fiscal/academic year.
NEW Postdoc Benefits and Entitlements as September 1, 2023
- Effective September 1, 2023, the minimum salary increases from $40,000 per year to $42,500 per year for full-time work (or a pro-rated equivalent). Anyone making less than $42,500 per year for full-time work will see a wage increase on your next pay cheque. If you are entitled to this increase and do not see it, please let us know.
- Your entitlement under the Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) has increased from $300 per academic year to $450 per academic year, also effective September 1st. This account covers many items that are not covered or not fully covered by your SunLife health and dental plan. More information on the HCSA, including an expense form, can be found here: https://cupe3906.org/postdocs-unit-3/post-doc-health-spending-account/
- Most importantly, the new (and vastly improved) SunLife health and dental plan is now in place. The new plan offers considerable improvements to virtually all items, and covers many at 100% (up to a maximum of $500 per year). A comparison of the previous plan to the new plan can be found here: https://cupe3906.org/files/2023/06/Postdoc-Health-and-Dental-Plan-Summary-Chart.pdf
- The new SunLife plan is available at no cost to you and your dependents, though you will need to enroll your dependents to ensure they have access. You should have received a link to this form from human resources: https://hr.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2019/01/Fillable-Extended-Health-and-Dental-Positive-Enrolment-Form-for-Active-Members_May-2020-1.pdf). The new SunLife plan means that the existing Equitable Life dental plan ended on August 31, 2023. Existing expenses incurred prior to September 1, 2023 can still be made and must be submitted to Equitable Life within 60 days of when the expense occurred.
- Your professional development allowance recently increased to $1000 per year. More information on that, as well as the application form, can be found here: https://cupe3906.org/postdocs-unit-3/postdoctoral-fellow-professional-development-fund/
- In our most recent round of bargaining, we also secured a Gender Affirmation Fund and Reproductive Health Fund, which covers up to $2000 per academic year for eligible expenses. More information on that, as well as the application form, can be found here: https://cupe3906.org/postdocs-unit-3/gender-affirmation-fund-reproductive-health-fund/
- Finally, we also secured improvements to the Postdoctoral Support Fund, which now provides up to $750 per year to cover eligible expenses, including child care, moving/relocation costs, and other unexpected or one-time emergency costs. The application for that fund is available here: https://gs.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2020/01/postdoctoral_support_fund_2017.pdf (please note you only need to fill out ‘part B’ in your initial application).
TA Professionalism, Rights, and Responsibilities Workshop
This workshop reviews what it means to be a CUPE Local 3906 Unit 1 member and covers different aspects of professionalism to set TAs up for success at McMaster.
Note: this is an in-person offering of one of two required workshops for mandatory TA training. New CUPE Local 3906, Unit 1 employee are required to complete 5-hours of mandatory training. The training includes a module on Anti-Oppression (2-hours) and TA Rights & Responsibilities (1-hour). The additional 2-hours of training are selected from a menu of centrally offered elective workshops. Online asynchronous versions of all workshops are available on Avenue to Learn. Register for the remaining workshops through the regulatory training tile in Mosaic to complete the 5 hours. Once registered, the training will be available in Avenue to Learn approximately 15 minutes after registration.
Please bring an electronic device with you and enroll in your Faculty-based course prior to attending the in-person workshop as you’ll be completing a short online quiz at the end of the workshop. This quiz must be completed to receive payment for the training.
Fall 2023 Teaching Assistant (UNIT 1) and Sessional Faculty (UNIT 2) Dental Rates and Change of Coverage Forms are Now Available!
Dental coverage rates and change of coverage forms for CUPE 3906 Members working as Classification “A” Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants (in Lieu) and/or Sessional Faculty in the Fall 2023 Term are now available!
Classification “A” Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants (in Lieu) with contracts to work in the Fall 2023 Term should click here for an important dental coverage letter, and visit our dental coverage website to obtain more information and forms to opt-out of dental coverage or enroll in family dental coverage for the 2023-2024 academic year. The deadline for Unit 1 members to submit forms and supporting documentation is: September 24, 2023. Please submit forms and supporting documentation to administrator@cupe3906.org.
Sessional Faculty and Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty members with contracts to work in the Fall 2023 term should click here for an important dental coverage letter, and visit our dental coverage website to obtain more information and forms to opt-out of dental coverage or enroll in family dental coverage for the 2023-2024 academic year. The deadline for Unit 2 members to submit forms and supporting documentation is: October 1st, 2023. Please submit forms and supporting documentation to administrator@cupe3906.org.
Please note that Classification “A” Unit 1 members and Unit 2 members must submit change of coverage forms every academic year to maintain opt-out or family coverage status. Members who wish to default to single dental coverage do not need to submit enrollment forms. (In other words, Classification “A” Unit 1 members and Unit 2 members are automatically enrolled in our single dental coverage by the Employer).
Finally, please be aware that there is a coverage “black out” period that occurs starting every September 1, which can last into October. This means that members who are eligible for our coverage but incur eligible expenses during this period may experience significant delays in the payment of eligible dental claims. Unfortunately, this is the result of payroll schedules over which we have no control. Eligible members can incur eligible expenses during the blackout period, but there will be a delay in reimbursements for these claims.
Sessional Faculty Training Fund (up to $300)- Continuing in 2023-24 academic year
Sessional Faculty and Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty Training Opportunity and Training Funds
CUPE Ontario Convention Report
Our local sent 9 delegates to the recent CUPE Ontario convention. A report back and summary from our delegates can be found here.
McCall-MacBain Postdoc Applications
The McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching and Leadership Program is now accepting applications for our 2023-2024 cohort.
This unique, one-of-a-kind program is open to all postdoctoral fellows at McMaster University and is now accepting limited spots for regional partners. Interdisciplinary postdocs from around the region will come together on the McMaster campus once a week to network, collaborate and hone their teaching, communication, as well as leadership skills. Postdocs will gain an edge in the highly competitive academic job market as well as expand their reach in industry (attached please find further information about this past year’s cohort)
The program runs from September – May (1 day/week). By the end of the 8-month term, postdocs will receive two certifications: one for Teaching (The Instructional Skills workshop from the MacPherson Institute) as well as one for Leadership (Postdocs Leadership Certification from the DeGroote School of Business).
If you are a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University and interested in this professional development opportunity, visit our website for more information or email the program manager Katie George
Ready to Apply? Complete the Application https://forms.office.com/r/LQcMqECsNc
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Call for Proposals – Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowships
The University of Toronto is pleased to announce the second call for applications for the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship, a program of Schmidt Futures, which brings together the brightest minds who have completed a PhD in the natural sciences or engineering and who aim to pursue a research project that includes the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to their domain. The program will fund cutting edge applications of AI in the natural sciences and engineering and creates a community of interdisciplinary leaders.
OVERVIEW
Value: $85,000 CDN/year, plus benefits
Applicants must demonstrate clear expertise and promise within their field of study. Experience with AI is not a requirement, but applicants must have a desire to learn new AI methodologies that stand to accelerate discoveries in their domain. These Fellowships will fund research and provide training in AI and related computational skills to support new directions in the application of AI.
Award Start Date: Between May 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025
Duration: 2 years of funding through the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship program.
Note: there is a possibility for a 3rd year global research exchange, industry internship, and/or teaching-focused postdoctoral experience, pending the availability of funding from the host supervisor(s), Mitacs, and/or an alternate source of funding.
Application Deadline: Monday, October 2, 2023 (5PM EST)
Adjudication Meeting: November 2023
Notifications: December 2023
Further Information: https://schmidtfellows.utoronto.ca
Questions? Please contact Amanda Mohabeer at schmidtfutures@utoronto.ca
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Developing Your EQ for Professional Success
July 25, 2023
Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and regulate one’s emotions and understand the emotions of others. This is relevant as it allows you to communicate effectively, empathize with others, and be both self and socially aware. This talk will discuss emotional intelligence (EQ) and its impact on career success, job performance, and stronger mental health. Participants will learn the definition of EQ & understand how it differs from IQ, be introduced to the four parts of EQ, and acquire ways to develop and strengthen EQ, including increasing self-awareness, developing empathy, identifying emotions, and embracing differences.
Speaker: Diane A. Safer, Ph.D., director, career and professional development for graduate students & postdocs; assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Register for this online workshop from the National Postdoctoral Association