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Free First Aid Training
We would like to remind you that Free First Aid Training is a benefit guaranteed under your Collective Agreement and available to all CUPE 3906 members. This is a Standard Red Cross certificate course offered on a number of dates this spring through Athletics and Recreation (dates listed below). Further information: available here. You will need to attend both days in order to receive the certificate.
Red Cross Standard First Aid
Wed/Thurs May 4/5
Thurs/Fri May 12/13
Tues/Wed May 17/18
Thurs/Fri May 19/20
Thurs/Fri May 26/27
Sat/Sun May 28/29
Wed/Thurs June 1/2
Tues/Wed June 7/8
Thurs/Fri June 9/10
Tues/Wed June 14/15
Sat/Sun June 18/19
Standard First Aid Recertification
Wed May 11
Wed May 25
Thurs June 16
The sessions are being held on campus. If you have questions about the specifics of the material being offered, please contact Athletics and Recreation at ext. 24464. They are the ones who are offering and teaching the class. Online registration is not an option. If you are a TA/RA in lieu and working in a different department/program other than the one that you are registered in as a student, registration should be done through the department in which you are employed. Normally, the Administrator from the department that employs you will need to register you as they must provide the departmental code so the cost can be billed accordingly. This charge cannot be passed on to you. There are occasionally issues here so please let us know if there are issues with your registration.
New book club on labour and organizing
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