CUPE 3906

Sessional Faculty Strike Deadline Set for July 22

On June 27, the University’s negotiators requested that the Ministry of Labour start the countdown to a legal strike or lockout position after the Unit 2 Bargaining Team refused to accept the University’s latest proposal of a two-year, 1% per year agreement with no improvements to job security. It is not clear whether McMaster plans to lock Sessionals out, but because they’ve set this process in motion the Collective Agreement will have no legal effect as of Friday, July 22 unless a tentative agreement can be reached. This would mean continuing to work without the protection of the union, without access to the grievance procedure, and with no guarantee of ongoing access to benefits or anything else established by our Collective Agreement. In response, the Unit 2 Bargaining Team has had no choice but to a set a strike deadline of Friday, July 22. The Team has indicated to the employer its desire to continue to bargain, but based on the results of the strike vote and the many months of consultation with members about their priorities, the deal on the table now is simply unacceptable.

Unless a tentative agreement can be reached, Sessionals will be on strike as of July 22. Anyone continuing to work will be scabbing. “Scabbing” means performing work usually done by a striking worker. Scabbing does serious damage to the labour movement. It undermines the union’s ability to secure a strong Collective Agreement. Scabs will not have the protection of the union during a strike, and they could face sanctions by the union once a strike is resolved.

The Strike Committee has begun canvassing members for their availability for picket duties and is in the process of scheduling a town hall meeting where we can all come together to learn what’s at stake, ask questions, and voice our concerns. Please continue to monitor your inboxes for that information. In the meantime, please take a look at our Strike FAQ for more information. If you would like to get involved in planning the strike, please reach out to strikecochairs@cupe3906.org.

Members may want to begin discussing with their students the potential impacts a strike may have on them. To that end, members should review the University’s policy on the Rights and Responsibilities of Undergraduate Students During Work Stoppages That Substantially Disrupt Academic Activities. Members may also want to talk to full-time faculty in their departments about their right to refuse to perform struck work. Teaching Assistants and Postdocs may also be asked to scab in the event of a strike. As fellow members of CUPE 3906, their Collective Agreements protect them from being forced to perform struck work and the union expects them to respect Sessionals’ right to strike by refusing to scab.

Please consider sending a letter to the University to show your support for Sessionals.

The CUPE 3906 Executive Committee stands in solidarity with those affected by the US Supreme Court’s decision to criminalize access to safe abortion.

Click HERE to view the CUPE 3906 Executive Committee’s Letter regarding reproductive rights.

We have heard that some sessionals have yet to been paid the Large Class Supplemental Fee. For those of you earning the base rate and teaching a class with more than 75 students, please note that your last pay stub should reflect an additional supplementary payment of $2.00 per student per unit for each student above 75.  For a typical 3-unit course, this would amount to $6.00 per student for each student above 75. If you taught a class with more than 75 students and you have yet to see the supplemental fee added, please reach out to your department ASAP to confirm that this additional supplement will been paid on April 8th if it has not been already.  If the payment is not processed by the end of this week, it will need to be paid on April 22nd, so please follow-up with your administrator this week and let us know if there are any issues.

Any post-contract work (that is, work requested by your supervisor and done after your final grades have been submitted) is separate from your contract and payable at a rate of $67.37/hour. This would include reviewing grades that are being challenged, marking exam that have been deferred, and dealing with cases of plagiarism. This is not an exhaustive list, and more information, including the appropriate form you’ll need to fill out and submit to get paid, is available here. If you are asked to perform this work and are collecting EI or CERB, please let us know.

Once your marks have been submitted (the main list, this does not need to include any deferred exams or extensions based on accommodations), your contract is over and this triggers the beginning of the post-contract period.

Following two years of COVID restrictions, CUPE Ontario is launching the Women in Leadership Development (WILD) program for Indigenous, Black, and racialized women.

WILD is a radical new leadership program set to start in the Summer of 2022. This new training will equip Indigenous, Black, and racialized women to further think and act strategically and critically, build capacity to communicate with confidence, take risks and build bridges.

Most importantly, it will inspire us to be the creative and courageous leaders the movement needs.

The program will consist of:

• An in-person 5-day session in August 2022
• A leadership project
• Working with a mentor
• A closing weekend session in Spring 2023

We are looking for members from affiliated locals who:

• Have lived experience as a woman who is Indigenous, Black, or racialized
• Bring leadership experience or are new activists
• Come from across the province and sectors

This application is now live and will close July 1 2022 (click here for application)

Contact AROAP@cupe.on.ca if you have any questions or need more information.

Cihan Erdal is a Canadian permanent resident, queer youth activist, doctoral student, and coordinator of the Centre for Urban Youth Research at Carleton University in Ottawa. He was unjustly detained in Turkey on unfounded charges in September 2020, after being swept up in a mass arrest of politicians, activists, and academics in Istanbul.

The Free Cihan Erdal campaign has widespread Canadian and international backing. Cihan has the support of his university and the broader academic community, his union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and many other groups and organizations around the world.

Thousands of people have taken up Cihan’s cause, and it’s made a difference.
Add your voice today: https://act.newmode.net/action/free-cihan-erdal

Our continuing support and solidarity will help free Cihan and bring him safely home to his partner, his studies, and his chosen home country of Canada.

You can stay up to date on Cihan’s situation at freecihanerdal.ca and on Twitter at @FreeCihanErdal

As a reminder, the deadline to submit all PDF applications for the Summer 2022 term will be August 5th. Please make sure that you send all applications to Benefits@3906.org prior to the deadline in order to ensure a timely review of your application.

If you have any questions about the PDF please email Benefits@cupe3906.org.

For information about eligibility, entitlement, and a copy of the PDF application form please visit the following website:
https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/professional-development-fund-unit-2/

The Bargaining Support/Strike Committee will also be meeting on Friday, May 27, 2022 at 1pm, also on the Zoom platform. We will discuss plans to mobilize Teaching Assistants and Postdoctoral Fellows for their upcoming rounds of bargaining, and we will also begin necessary strike preparations in case a strike or lockout of Sessional Faculty becomes unavoidable. If you are interested in attending, or to find out more information about the Committee, contact Unit 2 Mobilizer and Committee Co-Chair, Walter, at mobilizer@cupe3906.org.

The union will be holding our first General Membership Meeting of the summer on June 1, 2022 at 1pm on the Zoom platform. After the recent strike vote in Unit 2–in which Sessionals voted 85% in favour of authorizing a strike if necessary–and with Units 1 and 3 heading into bargaining soon, attendance at these meetings is more important than ever. In addition to discussing plans to support ongoing bargaining efforts, the union will also be looking to elect a new Undergraduate Officer, Chief Steward (Unit 3), and a Three Year Trustee (expiring in 2024). More information about these positions can be found in our by-laws.

Please register in advance for the General Membership Meeting by visiting the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kc-qrrDIrHtL-p2cWoRT5Q_qZW6GvBYMl