Unit 2 Professional Development Fund application- Submit ASAP!!!

Brad Walchuk Uncategorized

Dear Unit 2 Members, 
 
Please submit any outstanding Fall 2025 Professional Development Fund (PDF) applications as soon as possible so they can be adjudicated.
 
You can find information about PDF eligibility, application forms, and submission instructions on our website: https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/professional-development-fund-unit-2/
 
Afraid you will miss the Fall deadline? That’s okay! If you are teaching as Unit 2 member at any point this academic year (i.e., September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026), you can still submit applications for the Winter Term deadline (Tuesday, April 7, 2026) or the Spring/Summer deadline (August 14, 2026). Even if you are not teaching in the Winter 2026 or Spring/Summer 2026 Term(s), you can still submit an application for the April 2026 or August 2026 deadlines if you’ve taught this term!

McMaster Employee Discount Program

Brad Walchuk Uncategorized

Starting January 1, 2026, McMaster University will be partnering with Perkopolis as their new employee discount program provider. The employer’s current partnership with Venngo will conclude on December 31, 2025.
This transition reflects our ongoing commitment to offering comprehensive and easy-to-use perks experience.
Why Perkopolis?
Perkopolis offers deals and preferred pricing through partnerships with top entertainment, travel, shopping, and lifestyle brands. All employees and retirees will have access to preferred pricing on a variety of experiences and services, including movies, theatre, sports, attractions, travel, hotels, and more.
What This Means for Employees and Retirees
Beginning January 1, 2026, all employees (this includes all CUPE 3906 members, including student employees) and retirees will enjoy access to a robust suite of perks through Perkopolis. Further information including how to access Perkopolis and FAQs will be shared closer to January 2026.
For more information in the meantime, please visit the Employee Discount Program – Human Resources.
For further questions, please contact the Employee Contact Centre by email: hr.mcmaster@mcmaster.ca or phone: 905-525-9140 x22247
**Pplease note CUPE is not affiliated with this employee perks program and does not endorse it. We are merely passing on information that you might find relevant. Please direct any concerns to McMaster University**

Unit 4 Special GMM – January 13th

Brad Walchuk Uncategorized

Dear Residence Life Staff CUPE Members,
We know that it is a busy time as the semester is coming to an end, but we wanted to let you all know that there is a Special General Membership Meeting (SGMM) for Unit CUPE Unit 4 members that will take place on Tuesday, January 13th at noon. This hybrid meeting will be held in-person at MUSC 318, as well as via zoom.
If you are planning to attend this meeting, either in-person or via Zoom, please register at the link below and indicate which format you are attending (a Zoom link will be sent to everyone, even if you plan to attend in-person). The in-person meeting will feature some sort of food/lunch option.
This meeting will feature a collective bargaining update as well as the election of a new Unit 4 Lead Steward, a new Unit 4 Bargaining Team member, and a new Unit 4 Bargaining Team alternate member. The CUPE membership of the three people previously in these positions – Mazen, Greg, and Annie – has expired. We’d like to thank them for their hard work and dedication.
If you are interested in any of these positions, you can nominate yourself at the meeting or someone else can nominate you if you are present. If you are interested in running but are unable to attend, please reach out to brad@cupe3906.org to express your interest and you can be nominated in absentia.
Here is the meeting registration link (please register even if you are coming in-person):
When: Jan 13, 2026 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Where: MUSC 318 OR Zoom
 
Register in advance for this meeting at the link emailed to you. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

CUPE Membership Meeting – Election of New President – Tuesday, December 16th at 3 p.m. via Zoom

Brad Walchuk Uncategorized

Your Union is holding its final General Membership Meeting, or GMM, of the year on Tuesday, December 16th at 3 p.m. via Zoom. The full agenda – to posted online at https://cupe3906.org/gmm-materials/ – will be finalized soon. The main agenda item is the nomination of candidates for the position of President. An election will follow the GMM and ballots are available only to those who are present at the GMM. An election will also occur for one spot on the Bylaws Committee. More information about the president position and the election process be found in the Local Bylaws: https://cupe3906.org/about-us/by-laws/
 
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Dec 16, 2025 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
 
Register in advance for this meeting at the link sent to your email. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Brad Walchuk Uncategorized

As workers and activists, we need to understand that not all disabilities are immediately noticeable – from mental illness to learning differences, diabetes, chronic pain, cognitive dysfunction and much more.  People who have long COVID may experience symptoms that are invisible and can face complex challenges if they become disabled. CUPE strongly supports the struggle of disability justice and disability rights movements.

There are wide range of disabilities including sensory, intellectual, physical or mobility, mental health or psychiatric, neurodiversity and more. For persons with disabilities who have intersecting identities, such as women, Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQI+ people, the impacts are even worse. We encourage all union leaders to take action to advance disability rights in our workplaces.

Disability justice is a union issue. Advocating for solidarity with workers with disabilities and for cross-disability solidarity is crucial to an equitable workplace. Dismantling ableism and achieving disability justice makes life better for all workers.

Take action

Postdoctoral Fellow (Unit 3) Members: You are Invited!…

Mary Ellen Campbell Uncategorized

WHAT: Postdoctoral Fellow (Unit 3) End-of-Term lunch!

WHO: CUPE 3906 Unit 3 (Postdoctoral Fellow) Members

WHEN: Friday, December 12, 2025, 12:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.

WHERE: The Phoenix Restaurant (Old Refectory Building)

Reserve your seat! Please RSVP by December 8th by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/8TQTgsct55TVsiwy8

Meet your Unit 3 colleagues and your union reps! Have some fun! Enjoy a free lunch!

Questions? Please contact Bita, our Lead Steward Unit 3, at leadsteward_postdocs@cupe3906.org.

Petition to demand the federal government enforce the Canada Health Act in Ontario

Brad Walchuk Uncategorized

Click here to sign & share the petition online now

There are more than 5000 signatures now on this petition to the federal government, demanding that they enforce the Canada Health Act in Ontario where the Ford government is violating it with their private clinics. In the for-profit clinics, elderly patients are routinely charged thousands of dollars when they go in for cataract surgeries. The Canada Health Act bans user fees and extra-billing, but it only works if we demand that the federal government enforces it so that provinces that violate the bans are shamed into coming back into compliance.

The goal is to reach 10,000 signatures this week, then double that again next week. There are less than three months to get hundreds of thousands of signatures to make this effort matter. Please sign and share the petition as widely as possible.

How to make sure your signature is counted:
Please click here and fill out the petition (** NOTE: phone numbers must be entered without spaces, brackets, or area codes).

Nigerian Canadian Association, Hamilton Year End Dinner

Brad Walchuk Uncategorized

Join the Nigerian Canadian Association, Hamilton for a spectacular night of culture, community, and celebration as we mark 25 incredible years of service, growth, and unity!  This is the most anticipated night of the year — where culture meets class, and community meets celebration!

At our last General Membership Meeting, your local voted to purchase a table at this event and we have a few tickets remaining. If you are interested, please contact international@cupe3906.org

The event takes place December 6th from 5:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. EST at the Grand Olympia in Stoney Creek

https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/2025-ncah-end-of-year-gala

Sleep Health Equity Engagement Project (SHEEP)

Brad Walchuk Uncategorized

The Sleep Health Equity Engagement Project (SHEEP) is aiming to include people who identify as being part of, or work with, equity-deserving groups. Through the SHEEP survey, we hope to guide future directions for sleep health equity research in Canada.For more info on sleep health equity and why it is important, please click onthis linkfor a short video.  

The survey is currently available in 10 Languages: English, French, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese!   

The Sleep Health Equity Engagement Project (SHEEP) team is looking for participants for a sleep health equity survey!They are looking for people who are part of or work with groups that are not often included in research. They also want to hear from people who are interested in sleep health equity. Participants will share their ideas to guide research teams on what to study next in sleep health research.Each participant will have a chance to enter a prize draw to win a $25 gift card or a book about sleep health.  

For eligibility and to start the survey, they can follow thelink below:  

https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6g9k6149pL7Dhhc 

They can also complete the survey over the phone by calling 250-807-8423. 

This study is being led by Dr. Elizabeth Keys (UBCO), Dr. Christine Ou (University of Victoria), and Dr. Marie-HélènePennestri (McGill). If there are any questions, pleaseemail:sleep.engage@ubc.ca.