CUPE 3906

We are sad to inform you of an unfortunate situation that is delaying Winter 2021 Sessional Faculty and Hourly-Rated Sessional Music Faculty (Unit 2) members’ ability to access dental coverage this term.

Due to pandemic quarantine measures, the dental deduction and enrollment for Unit 2 members who did not teach in the Fall 2020 term has been delayed until later in March.  We anticipate that the $170 single coverage deduction will occur in mid- to late March, and the dental upload will be complete in mid-April.

Please note that this delay will not impact your entitlement to dental benefits. It will only delay when claims will be paid out and when you can create an online profile on Equitable Life’s website.  As long as you did not opt-out of dental coverage, you will still be able to submit claims retroactive to September 1, 2020, and have eligible expenses paid out once the upload is complete.  (The eligibility period still ends on August 31, 2021, regardless of whether or not you are teaching in the Spring/Summer 2021 term.)

This delay should only impact members who did not pay dental premiums in the fall.  Also, it should not impact members who have opted out of the coverage either in the Fall 2020 or Winter 2021 term (you should not see a dental deduction of $170 at all this academic year on your pay statement).

We will update members as soon as we have additional information regarding when the single dental deduction will occur and when the coverage is up-and-running.

We are very sorry for this unexpected delay and appreciate your patience and compassion.

Sincerely,

Your CUPE 3906 Executive Committee

**Given that we are not tax professionals, this is for informational purposes only. We strongly advise you to consult a tax professional for any specific questions. Nothing contained here should be seen as ‘advice.’ If you’re questions about are labour law, we can help. For tax law questions, we urge you to consult a professional in that field**

We wanted to provide a quick update re: T2200 and T2200s and resources that the Employer has prepared. Resources are already posted on McMaster’s payroll website as follows:  https://hr.mcmaster.ca/employees/payroll/t2200s-and-t2200/

The resources include:

• Home Office Expenses Overview
• Home Office Expenses FAQ
• Home Office Expenses Calculation Template

There is a webinar with KPMG scheduled for March 2 @ 1:00pm.  Employees need to register at Webinar Registration – Zoom.  This session will also be recorded and posted afterward for all employees to view at a time that works best for them.

T2200S forms will be prepared for eligible employees and distributed via email by March 31, 2021. For clarity, ALL CUPE 3906 members (Units 1, 2, and 3) are eligible. For clarity, a T2200 is a traditional tax form for those working from home,  (https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/forms/t2200.html), while a T2200s is for those working from home due to COVID-19. The T-777s form is for a new tax credit (of up to $400) introduced by the federal government (https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/how-canadians-can-get-a-400-tax-credit-no-questions-asked-for-working-from-home-during-covid-19).

For more information and a User Guide on how to access and print your T4 slip please visit https://hr.mcmaster.ca/employees/payroll/tax-information/. The T4 is a tax form outlining your regular earnings/wages. We have confirmed that members who are no longer employed with McMaster will continue to have basic access to Mosaic for the purposes of seeing their payroll and tax slips for 18 months after their contract is over.  Therefore, all T4s can still be accessed.  If someone doesn’t remember their Mosaic password, then they can go through regular protocols with UTS to have their password reset. There shouldn’t be a problem with the Sessional/TA/postdoc staff accessing their 2020 tax slip but let us know if there is, please let us know and we can follow-up with the HR Service Centre on your behalf.

A T4s form is for a self-employed contractor, not an employee. All 3906 members are employees, so you should be receiving a T4 and not a T4A for your TA/Sessional/Postdoc work.

Are you an international CUPE 3906 member who would like to help ensure that the needs of international workers at McMaster get the attention they deserve? Perhaps you are more interested in fostering a sense of community among your fellow international members? If so, you should join our International Committee! It requires very little commitment, typically about 2 hours or 1-2 meetings per month (sometimes more and sometimes less, depending on the initiatives and programs being organized at any given time). On top of the experience you will gain from working in a union environment, it’s also a great opportunity to make connections among your fellow international workers at McMaster, particularly in a time when meeting new friends comes with its own unique challenges!

All international CUPE 3906 members (including Permanent Residents) at any level of study are welcome to apply. You can do so by sending an email to international@cupe3906.org with your name, department, and level of study or employment position (i.e. sessional instructor). These positions are being filled on the basis of first come, first served.

The Fund has also been expanded to include research journal subscriptions, leadership development courses, and language courses, on top of the already expansive list of eligible expenses. Applications are being accepted electronically until further notice. Remember to combine your materials into a single document and then submit it to your Benefits Officer via email: benefits@cupe3906.org. For more information on the Unit 3 Professional Development Fund, as well as the most recent version of our application form, click here.

Based on gains secured during our last round of collective bargaining, your Benefits Committee has voted to expand your HCSA entitlement. These gains could not have been secured without your support and mobilization during the bargaining process.

Members of CUPE 3906 Unit 2 (Sessional Faculty and Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty working at McMaster University) may now submit up to $500 in eligible expenses, and will receive a reimbursement of 80% (to a maximum of $400 per academic year). Previously members would receive a reimbursement of only 70% of the cost (to a maximum of $350 per academic year).

If you submit a claim for $500 in eligible costs, you will receive $400 total for the academic year. In other words, for each $10 claim in eligible costs, you will receive $8 reimbursement, up to a maximum of $400 per academic year. If you have already submitted a claim of up to $500 and received only the previous maximum of $350, you will need submit an additional form to receive up to a $50 top up.

Further information about the HCSA, eligible expenses, and the claim forms, can be found here.

We’re reaching out to ask for your help in fundraising for Chantelle Krupka and Michael Headley. Chantelle and Michael survived a violent police attack at the hands of Peel Regional Police and have been on the frontlines fighting against police brutality ever since. 

On May 10, 2020, Mother’s Day, Chantelle and Michael — who were both unarmed and several feet away — were tasered outside of their home by Officer Tyler Bell-Morena. Chantelle was then shot in the stomach by ex-Officer Valerie Briffa and underwent two major surgeries. In the days following this violent attack by Peel police, healthcare professionals supposedly responsible for Chantelle neglected her care and chose to instead follow the narrative and assumptions about her from Peel police. She continues to experience chronic medical issues as a result of the police attack. 

Chantelle’s story is not unique, and we know our healthcare system not only fails to provide the adequate care that is needed after such a traumatic experience, but is also actively complicit in the policing of Black, Indigenous and racialized people.  

On Monday, February 8th, we held an event with Doctors for Defunding Police to allow Chantelle and Michael to share their story in full and expose the complicity of healthcare professionals in criminalizing marginalized and vulnerable groups. You can view the full recording of the event here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLDalrmD8fA/

Since the traumatic experience, Chantelle and Mike have dedicated their lives to fighting for justice for all victims of police abuse, including those who were not fortunate enough to survive encounters with killer cops: Jamal Francique, D’Andre Campbell, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, and Ejaz Choudry. However, the fight has come at great personal cost. Chantelle and Michael have endured immense physical, mental, and financial hardship as a result of their police attack, which they’ve put aside to fight for justice for others.  

Now, with a baby on the way — and after being permanently disabled and then robbed of thousands of dollars by Peel Police — they’re facing eviction. 

Chantelle and Michael’s situation is critical, and we need to urgently raise funds so that they can leave the house they were attacked in, have their baby in a safe, new home, and continue fighting for justice and systemic change. 

Please donate to Chantelle and Michael’s online fundraiser as an act of solidarity: https://chuffed.org/project/help-chantelle-mike-survivors-of-peel-police-violence

If you would like more information, contact the organizers of the fundraiser, Malton People’s Movement at maltonpeoplesmovement@gmail.com or connect with them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

The Mike Skinner Award is a member-mandated award offered by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3906 on an annual basis. Its title honours long-time labour activist and former CUPE 3906 Staff Member Mike Skinner.

The recipient of the Mike Skinner Award may have been involved in the following possible issues over the course of their time with CUPE 3906:

• Fighting for social justice issues (these issues are diverse and can include environmental justice, labour solidarity, gender equality, equity issues, and the advancement of peace);
• Promoting the welfare of humanity and the environment, and the elimination of pain and suffering through acts of community organizing, mobilization, education and/or solidarity;
• Labour organizing and solidarity in support of workers in Hamilton, Canada, or abroad.

This is not an exhaustive list, but includes a few common examples of the things that past award winners have been involved in and that the selection committee considers.

The value of the award is $500 to one person (or committee), an award certificate and an inscription on the Mike Skinner Award plaque. This award is open to all current members of CUPE 3906 (this includes all Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants in lieu, Sessional Faculty, Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty and Postdoctoral Fellows), and/or anyone who has been a member of the local between January 2020 and March 2021. This year’s award will be for the 2020-21 year.

The nomination period for this award is from February 22, 2021 to March 19, 2021.

If a suitable candidate has been active in your organization or department within this time frame, or if you have seen a suitable candidate around campus or the in community, we invite you to nominate them for this award.

Award Criteria:

Please review the award criteria, and, when writing your letter of nomination and seeking supporting letters from others, include the nominee’s specific contributions. The main criterion are:

• Impact of their service to the community;
• Length and level of involvement or commitment of the nominee to their act of community service;
• The dedication and courage of the nominee’s activism.

The selection committee is comprised of members of the CUPE 3906 executive and members-at-large. Members of the selection committee cannot nominate a candidate. Members of the selection committee cannot nominate a candidate.  Members of the selection committee who have personal ties with the nominees must yield their place to another member of the Executive or a CUPE member-at-large nominated by the members of the selection committee.

This year’s Award will be presented at the Annual General Meeting in late March or our GMM in early April, 2021.

We look forward to receiving your nomination of an amazing CUPE 3906 member.

For further information please contact president@cupe3906.org or staff@cupe3906.org

Mike Skinner Award nominations 2020-21