Several of our members have started a book club on relevant issues to our union, including labour and organizing. Taking a cue from the Organizing4Power training series, we will kickstart the club with Jane McAlevey’s book No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age. Our first meeting will happen via Zoom, where we will discuss the organizing of future meetings (presentially, hybrid, Zoom etc.). If you are interested please get in touch with us: bookclub3906@proton.me
May 1st – March & Rally for Decent Work (Gore and Gage Parks)
On May 1, 2022, join the province-wide day of action for a better Ontario. May 1 (or May Day) is the traditional workers’ holiday, a day that working people celebrate the gains they have won over the years and commit to fighting for a better future for everyone.
In Hamilton on May 1, we’re hosting a feeder rally and march in Gore Park (12:00 PM), followed by a May Day rally in Gage Park (1:00 PM).
It’s time for a $20 minimum wage, decent work, affordable housing, paid sick days, well-funded public services, livable income support for all, climate justice, status for all, and an end to racism and oppression. Join us!
More information: Justice for Workers and Ontario Federation of Labour
Unit 1 Special Membership Meeting- Bargaining Priorities
Thanks so much to those of you who filled out the bargaining survey. The Unit 1 Bargaining Team has had a chance to meet, review the results, and put together a package of priorities that we feel should guide our work at the bargaining table this summer. The next step in the process is to meet as a unit to discuss and ratify those priorities. Please take a look at the meeting information below and click the link to register in advance. This meeting will also include elections to fill several vacancies on the Bargaining Team. Information about the vacant positions and the elections process can be found in our by-laws. We will be electing one (1) general bargaining team member, one (1) undergraduate bargaining team member, and one (1) alternate bargaining team member.
Unit 1 Special General Membership Meeting
Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 12:00pm
Please register in advance for this meeting:
You must be a member in good standing of Unit 1 in order to attend.
I also wanted to send a reminder that the union is looking for two (2) members to book-off for mobilizing, engagement, education, and organizing work in support of bargaining. The book-offs are for approximately 10 hours per week and are compensated at the ‘Class A’ TA rate from the current collective agreement. You can find more information about the positions here.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me back.
In solidarity,
CUPE Ontario calls on the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario to maintain unionized employees’ access
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) needs to maintain the right of unionized employees to access the tribunal. Following a Supreme Court of Canada decision which determined that issues concerning unionized employees could be solely addressed through the grievance procedure, the HRTO is now considering whether it should continue to take applications by unionized workers.
Member Mobilizer Book-Offs – Apply Now!
The union is looking for two (2) dedicated members to book-off for member education, engagement, organizing, and campaign work in support of upcoming rounds of Unit 1 and 3 bargaining. You must be a member in good standing of CUPE 3906 from any of our three bargaining units. These positions are for roughly 10 hours per week and are compensated at the ‘Class A’ TA rate contained in the Unit 1 Collective Agreement.
Complete information about these book-off positions can be found below:
Member-Mobilizer-Book-Off-2022
Interested members should apply by the end of day May 4th, 2022 by sending a CV, cover letter, and two references to CUPE 3906 President, Chris Fairweather, at president@cupe3906.org.
Results of Executive Committee Elections, 2022-23
Congratulations to our newly elected executive committee. These members were (re)elected today at our Annual General Membership Meeting for a term of roughly 12 months until our next AGM in April 2023. Some amazing new faces join an already solid executive team
President: Chris Fairweather
Vice President: Shalen Prado**
Vice President External: Leah McGrath-Reynolds
Treasurer: Eric Macpherson
Recording Secretary: Sarah Szymanksi
Chief Steward Unit 1: Will Foley
Chief Steward Unit 2: Carolyn Capretta
Chief Steward Unit 3: Kezhuan Gu
Benefits and Advocacy Officer: Kyle Morrison
Equity Officer: Conroy Christie
Health and Safety Officer: Anastasia Soukhov**
International Officer: Sarah Elshahat
Undergraduate Officer: VACANT
Political Action Committee (Co-Chairs): Morgan Jacques
** newly elected
AGM 2022 Reminder- Weds Apr 6 at 3 pm
Each year, we hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) at which all executive positions are up for election. This year, it will be held on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. and, besides electing all the executive officers, it will also elect a 3-year trustee position. The meeting will occur online on the “Zoom” platform.
This is a very important meeting that will decide the composition of the Executive Committee for this year and present the Annual Reports of Executive Committee Members and Committees. It is a once a year opportunity to run for positions or to vote for who you would like to represent you for the coming year. We are counting on your presence to ensure we have a good and democratic outcome.
To review the elections process and a summary of the duties of executive positions, please visit: CUPE-3906-Bylaws-updated-Dec-2021.pdf (cupe3906.org)
Please register for the meeting using the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuce6oqD4qHdd6SRi9QEuwMjS4_SUcuIhg
You must register using your Mac email address, this is necessary for us to confirm that you are a member. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Here are the rules for the election process:
- Members may nominate themselves or others in advance of the meeting or during the nominations period of the meeting on April 6th. Nominations will not be accepted after the nominations are declared “closed” at the online meeting. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else in advance of the meeting, please email brad@cupe3906.org till April 5th.
- Those candidates present at the meeting have up to 2 minutes to address the membership at the meeting to state why members should vote for them in the elections.
- Candidates can run for any positions they like (subject to the restrictions in Article 3 of the Local’s Bylaws). However, candidates can only hold one position.
- Elections happen in the order listed at https://cupe3906.org/about-us/your-executive/
- Voting for each of the three Chief Steward positions is limited to members of that Unit.
- Voting will happen in real-time during the Zoom meeting. Only members who are present at the meeting can vote. You must also be able to vote using the Zoom poll, which means that participants who have no access to the Zoom screen (i.e., anyone who is participating via a telephone call, not using the internet app) will not be able to vote. Elections are anonymous and members participating via phone call cannot tell aloud their votes.
If you still have questions about the process, please send an email to brad@cupe3906.org . You can also find more details by visiting: https://cupe3906.org/2022/04/01/elections-are-coming-agm-on-april-6/
Elections are coming! AGM on April 6
This year’s Annual General Meeting, or AGM, will be held on Wednesday April 6th, 2022 at 3 p.m. via Zoom (with an expected ending time of approximately 5 p.m.). A secure link for registration has been sent to your McMaster email address, included in our weekly mailer (“News from your Union”).
As per our bylaws, there is a single agenda item at the AGM- the election of all executive positions and a 3-year trustee. A full description of each of these positions can be found in our bylaws. Additional business outside of the election will occur at our next General Membership Meeting, likely to be held in May.
AGM Protocols- The Nominations and Elections Process
- The election process will be governed by the CUPE Local 3906 bylaws, and in particular Article 4.
- A full copy of the bylaws can be found here: https://cupe3906.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/501/2022/02/CUPE-3906-Bylaws-updated-Dec-2021.pdf
- All executive positions listed under Article 5 of the Local 3906 bylaws, as well as a 3 year Trustee (term ending 2025) will be open and elected at the AGM
- Please note that in order to vote, you must be in attendance at the Annual General Meeting
- Our Annual General Membership Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. The meeting will occur online on the “zoom” platform.
1) Any member can self-nominate or nominate a fellow member for any executive position in advance of the meeting by emailing brad@cupe3906.org. Members who are (self) nominated and cannot attend the meeting can send a brief statement (250 words maximum) which will be read on their behalf at the meeting prior to voting on the position(s) for which they are contesting. If you are nominating someone else, please CC them in the email to ensure that they are aware of the nomination
2) Any member can self-nominate or nominate a fellow member at the meeting when nominations are open for any specific position
3) During the meeting, positions will be elected one-by-one. The results (naming the winner only, not sharing the vote breakdown) will be provided before the next position is elected.
4) Elections will occur in the following order: President, Vice President, Vice President External, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Benefits and Advocacy Officer, Chief Steward Unit 1, Chief Steward Unit 2, Chief Steward Unit 3, Undergraduate Officer, Equity Officer, International Officer, Health and Safety Officer, Trustee (3 year term)
5) The expectations of each position, and any criteria for running for the position, can be found in Article 5 of the Local 3906 bylaws.
6) Voting for each of the three Chief Steward positions is limited to members of that Unit.
7) As per usual practice, there will be three calls for nominations for each position. Those (self)nominated in advance will have their names put forward automatically during the third and final call
8) When nominations close, nominees can either stand for the election (ie. agree to run in the election) or decline their nomination and not run in the election. All members self-nominated in advance, and any member nominated in advance who has confirmed their acceptance of the nomination, will stand for the election
9) Should there be more than one candidate standing for election, an election will be held. If only one candidate stands for election, that person will be acclaimed. If there are no candidates, the executive can – at its sole discretion – appoint someone to an interim role. An election for any vacant spots will occur at the next GMM, including those which may have been filled by an interim appointment
10) Should more than one candidate contest the position, each candidate will have 2 minutes to speak to the membership about their candidacy and to motivate members to vote for them
11) As per Article 4(c)(iii) of the Local 3906 bylaws, the Chair, at their sole discretion, can permit other members to speak in favour of the candidacy of a specific candidate. The chair, at their sole discretion, may also permit a brief Q and A period for candidates.
12) Voting for all positions will be done by Zoom polling. The polling will be anonymous; results will be made known to staff and any scrutineers. Staff will announce a winner, but not a breakdown of votes. In order to vote, you must be in attendance when the vote is being held.
13) Each candidate may appoint a scrutineer to validate the election results. The chair can also appoint a scrutineer if there are no volunteers or if candidates do not appoint one
14) As per Article 4(d)(i) of the Local 3906 bylaws, “A majority of votes cast shall be required before any candidate can be declared elected, and second and subsequent ballots shall be taken, if necessary, to obtain a majority. On the second and subsequent ballots the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes in the previous ballot shall be dropped. In the case of a tie in the final vote, the remaining candidates shall be invited to address the meeting and a new election will be held. Elections shall continue until a majority vote is accomplished.”
15) Once a position is filled with a majority vote, the above process will continue for the subsequent position
16) Newly elected executives will assume the position as of 12:01 a.m. on April 7th
Unit 2 Professional Development Fund deadline- April 12th
The deadline for the winter semester applications to the Unit 2 (Sessionals) Professional Development Fund is April 12th, 2022 at 5 p.m. More information about the fund can be found here: https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/professional-development-fund-unit-2/
Sessional Faculty Bargaining Update
The Unit 2 Bargaining Team met with the Employer March 10, 2022, to receive the Employer’s latest proposal package. Unsurprisingly, there were few changes to the Employer’s previous proposals in years 1 and 2 of the agreement. (The Employer maintains its position that those years must be compliant with the 1% limitation on wages and total compensation mandated by the Ford government’s Bill 124. Unit 2 Members have already completed 1 full year under the 3-year legislative mandate in the 2020-2021 academic year.)
We have seen minor improvements in the Employer’s position on wages in the proposed third year of the agreement (from a 1.75% wage increase to the base rate of pay to a 3% wage increase to the base rate of pay). Despite the increase, this falls well short of the rate of inflation, and we are continuing to push for a higher wage increase. The Employer’s package includes some positive movement where we have asked for greater clarity in hiring practices and the provision of resources (especially technological resources and technological assistance) to members (where the Employer mandates the use of certain technologies and software), and guidelines for requests made of members by the Employer for the creation of deferred exams.
Also, we continue to discuss the importance of improvements to existing benefits funds, and would like to continue to hear from you about where benefits funds would be most useful (i.e., more health care spending reimbursements, funds for gender affirmation, etc.). It is thanks to your ongoing support and feedback that we are able to make any improvements, and we would like to continue to hear from you about what kinds of improvements would make the most impact for you. Please let us know by contacting Walter at mobilizer@cupe3906.org, Carolyn at chiefsteward_sessionals@cupe3906.org, or staff@cupe3906.org.
Although talks continue, the Employer remains unmoveable on issues of job security, retirement planning, and even basic equality and respect. Members have shown their dedication to McMaster for years, and even decades.
For example, members can miss out on a portion of supplementary student fees (i.e., the fee paid to members for each student in excess of 75 students) to the degree that their rate of pay exceeds the base rate of pay. (We are trying to change this so that all members have equal access to the supplemental fee language.) Unit 2 members miss out on the opportunity to plan for retirement by virtue of working contract-to-contract, even when they work at McMaster with the same colleagues for 10, 20, and even 30 or more years next to colleagues who enjoy employer-assisted retirement savings. Improvements to these areas of inequality would show respect to our members on behalf of the McMaster Administration.
Your colleagues on the Bargain Team strongly believe that more respect needs to be shown to you through the contract, especially considering the imposed restrictions of Bill 124. The Employer must recognize our members’ diligent work in our agreement–recognition that your colleagues on the bargaining team feel has been neglected by the Administration for a long time. This has had a negative impact on health, research, and professional development which is the backbone of higher education. Recognition is beneficial for both the University and its teaching staff.
A PDF version can be found here.