Want to get involved in the union more? Check the following committees/working groups for more information regarding the activities you can take part in:
Stewards Committee
Executive Committee
Political Action Committee
International Committee
Equity Action Committee
Women’s Committee
Benefits Committee
Communications Committee
Indigenous Solidarity Working Group
July 2024 Update:
At our first General Membership Meeting (GMM) in September, we will be discussing new and existing working groups and committees that you can join to become more involved in the union. This includes:
The Bargaining Support Committee organizes support for our Bargaining Teams during negotiations and provides important feedback for the Bargaining Teams about members’ experiences and goals during negotiations. This is an easy committee to join and no experience is required! The committee often arranges fun and social activities to help members understand their Collective Agreement, and what’s at stake in negotiations. Any time commitment (even a few hours a month) is welcome! Contact president@cupe3906.org for more information or to get involved!
This is a crucial union position. Each department has at least one steward who provides a direct link between the executive and the membership. The Stewards Committee helps to inform members in their department of the happenings of the Union, and serve as a resource to answer questions within their department about working conditions, benefits, etc. To see the list of current Departmental Stewards, please refer to this page.
You can contact our chief stewards to get more information about departmental stewards.
- If you are a Unit 1 (TAs, and RAs in lieu of TAs) member, contact our Unit 1 Lead Steward.
- If you are a Unit 2 (Sessional Faculty) member, contact our Unit 2 Lead Steward.
- If you are a Unit 3 (Postdocs) member, contact our Unit 3 Lead Steward.
If you are in Unit 1 and interested in joining the stewards committee, then please download and complete the CUPE 3906 Unit 1 Steward Nomination Form. It can be submitted in person at KTH B111 or via email.
If you are in Units 2 or 3, then please complete the CUPE 3906 Steward Nomination Form Unit 2 and 3.
Executive officers are elected members of the union and are responsible for steering the local in the right direction and the overall operation of the local. These are paid positions. There are 13 such positions, with a variety of responsibilities attached to them. You can check the list of executive officers and our staff representatives here. Check the vacant positions if you are interested in participating in the executive committee.
Political Action Committee (PAC)
A semi-autonomous committee committed to extending solidarity to the rest of the labour and social-justice community in Hamilton and beyond.
Interested in participating in / knowing about PAC? email PAC chair
The Undergraduate Committee primarily serves members that are in undergraduate studies, and provides undergrads a forum for building a community and learning more about what the Union does and how the Union serves its undergraduate members. The Committee focuses on providing events for undergraduate TAs and providing them a platform for discussing issues or simply having a break from work and classes. The committee is looking for new members, so if you think that this is something you’d like to be involved in, please don’t hesitate to contact our Undergraduate Officer at undergrads@cupe3906.org for more information.
The International Committee primarily serves members that are non-citizens, and provides a forum for building community, making new friends, discussing common interests, and talking about life, work, and studies as an International Student. The Committee focuses on issues such as immigration, but also has a lot of fun, including craft nights, move nights, and sharing international cuisine. Please email International Officer for more information.
EAC is another semi-autonomous committee working towards Equity Seeking Groups in our union and the Hamilton area. The chair of the EAC is our Equity Officer. Please email them for more information.
Our newly launched Women’s Committee helps to promote gender equity in the workplace, on campus, and in the Hamilton Community. It is open to all women and trans identified members of the local. They engage in variety of activities related to achieving equity for women and trans people, especially in male-dominated spaces. If interested, please email the President.
Chaired by the Benefits and Advocacy Officer, Benefits Committee work to administer benefits related tasks. Please email the Benefits & Advocacy Officer for more information and joining this committee. This important committee helps to determine eligibility and entitlement to a variety of benefits plans administrated by or contracted to the Union, including the Dental Plan, the Health Care Spending Account, and the Unit 2 and Unit 3 Professional Development Funds.
Indigenous Solidarity Working Group
The Indigenous Solidarity Working Group helps educate and organize around issues relating to Indigenous sovereignty and solidarity. It is open to the CUPE 3906 membership and the surrounding community. The group actively supports Indigenous struggles on turtle island. It also manages the Community Impact Fund, which issues grants of up to $500, aiming to support Indigenous grassroots sustenance initiatives that support community wellness. If interested, email the co-chair. Check out our website, find us on Instagram, or join our Facebook Group.
The Communications Committee designs and circulates information about CUPE3906 to the general membership and broader McMaster community. Currently, the committee is working on CUPE3906 FM , a podcast series about our union (found on Spotify). This committee is also responsible for the production and distribution our newsletter, creating posters for meetings, and updating and maintaining the local’s online presence. The Communications committee works to get the word out about CUPE 3906. The chair of this committee is the Vice President. Please email the VP for more information and participating in this committee.
If you would like to join the communications committee please contact: comms@cupe3906.org
The role of the Organizing committee is to build long-term union solidarity. The goals of the Organizing committee are as follows:
1) To build Union knowledge, solidarity, and activism within the Local.
2) To continually assess the mobilization of the membership.
3) To educate the membership on the value of Unions, the local, and the labour movement.
4) To coordinate with the Equity Action Committee, The Women’s Committee, the Political Action Committee, and the Indigenous Solidarity Working group to ensure that all actions and strategies operate within an anti-oppressive and anti-colonial framework.
For more information about the Organizing Committee, please contact our Organizing Committee Co-Chairs at organizing.chair@cupe3906.org.
Raise the Floor Working Group
The Raise the Floor Working Group aims to continue to push McMaster to elevate the existing funding floor for graduate students at McMaster. You can learn more about raise the floor campaign here.
Full-time graduate students at McMaster need your help. We need to come together as a community—whether you’re a student, a member of the faculty, or university staff—and call on McMaster’s Graduate Council to Raise the Floor! To get involved email: raisetheflooratmac@gmail.com