CUPE 3906

As many of you know, McMaster has conveyed their unwillingness to recognize out-of-province TAs as Unit 1 members even though online course and tutorial delivery have become standard in the context of COVID-19. Of course, this is despite the fact that it was them who advised students and non-essential workers to stay away from campus in the first place. We are continuing to pursue all available legal avenues and other options, but in the meantime, we would ask that you show your support in at least one of the following ways:

• If you have not already, please sign and share this form letter demanding that McMaster sign our LOU.
• If you know of any TAs who are set to lose their union membership because of McMaster’s actions, please encourage them to share their stories on social media, and be sure to tag and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to help amplify the message.
• Use your own social media to call attention to the fact that McMaster is stripping many TAs of access to free mental health counselling, multiple benefits funds, secure wages, and protections against unfair firing, discrimination, and harassment – all in the middle of a pandemic. Use the hashtag #BetterMac so we know how to find you.
• If you know incoming out-of-province Teaching Assistants who are not yet receiving our communications, please share this information with them and encourage them to get in touch with us via email.

Please be on the lookout for further updates and calls to action as this situation continues to evolve. Your support – and that of the community – will be crucial to winning this fight.

Who wouldn’t want to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 while also supporting their union?! We have a number of these reusable, non-medical masks available for FREE to CUPE 3906 members. No need to worry about picking yours up from campus; we can send it in the mail. Complete our Face Mask Request Form to reserve your CUPE 3906 face mask while quantities last!

After two weeks of negotiations with our Employer, the McMaster University Administration, we are disappointed to inform you that the parties have reached an impasse and we are seeking both the assistance of a government-appointed Conciliation Officer and a strike vote from our Unit 2 members.

The Union and the Employer made some progress at the table over the past few sessions.  For instance, we removed conditions that would limit members to teach two courses per term, and made some gains to supplemental fees for large classes.

Unfortunately, that progress was cut short by a few fundamental disagreements:

-improvements to job security and transparency in hiring.  Job security was a top priority for members according to our survey.  We continue to propose improvements to the existing first consideration appointment system and to transparent and fair hiring processes, but the Employer is not agreeable to any substantive changes.

-money.  The Employer states that it is limited to a 1% increase to wages and benefits due to the regressive legislation put forward by the Ford Conservatives last fall (Bill 124).  Paid training is not contemplated by the legislation, however, and we believe that members should receive extra compensation for health and safety training and/or professional training in addition to normal course preparation and delivery.  This is an opportunity for the Employer to offer gains outside of the restrictions of the legislation, and we think our members are worth it.

-proration of 3-unit courses.  The Employer has included a proposal that would allow members in one of our departments (MELD) to be paid 1/3rd of the value of a 3-unit course by claiming to have altered the workload of the course to 1/3rd of the workload of a “regular” 3-unit course.  This is an attack on our members, and we are concerned that, if we agree to this language, the Employer would be permitted to reduce compensation in any of our 3- or 6-unit courses.  The Employer also wants the Union to withdraw outstanding grievances on proration and job security as a condition of the agreement.

-technological support.  Especially given the move to online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic, members require additional technological support for the tools and resources they need.  The Employer is having difficulty finding ways of facilitating this (although the Union has proposed several options).

-3-year contract. Given the uncertainties created by the pandemic and current legislation (Bill 124), we had hoped the employer would agree to a two-year agreement. This would have allowed both sides to go back to the negotiating table at a time when things hopefully have stabilized and some uncertainties resolved. However, the Employer is insisting on a three-year deal.

-Preventing job loss.  The Union requested that the Employer commit to not reducing the number of jobs as a result of any move to online teaching because of the pandemic (e.g., increase the student to instructor ratio to create online, “mega” classes).  The Employer did not agree to commit to this, and has already done this in at least one department.

-Guidelines on reasonable hours of work.  The Union proposed language to make sure that members were not required to provide instruction or student consultation between the hours of 10 P.M. and 8:30 A.M..  The Employer did not agree to this language.

More information about an impending strike vote and dates for conciliation will be forthcoming.

Please continue to check your email for information about your rights and your opportunities to be heard at meetings and consultations.

We remain open to meet with the Employer to arrive at a negotiated agreement.  This does not change in spite of our request for assistance from the membership and a Conciliation Officer.  We did not make this decision lightly, and we regret having to take this course of action given the pandemic situation.

Sincerely,

Your Unit 2 Bargaining Committee

Dental opt-out forms and family dental enrollment forms for Sessional Faculty and Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty (Unit 2 members) for the 2020-2021 academic year are now available on our site.  The deadline to submit Unit 2 change of coverage forms is October 2nd, 2020.  Due to the office closure caused by the pandemic, please email a clear copy of your forms to administrator@cupe3906.org.

PLEASE CLICK HERE for important information about opting-out of dental coverage and enrolling in family dental coverage.

Please note that you must complete a change of coverage form (i.e., a dental opt-out form or a family dental enrollment form) and provide appropriate supporting documentation every academic year  if you wish your opt-out/family enrollment status to continue.   All members are automatically enrolled in single dental coverage every academic year (unless we receive a completed change of coverage form with appropriate supporting documentation).

If you are not teaching until the Winter 2021 (or the Spring/Summer 2021 term), you can submit these forms in the first 30 days of your employment in those terms.

PLEASE CLICK HERE for a 2020-2021 UNIT 2 DENTAL OPT-OUT FORM.

PLEASE CLICK HERE for a 2020-2021 UNIT 2 FAMILY DENTAL ENROLLMENT FORM

For more information on our Unit 2 Dental Plan, please visit https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/unit-2-dental-coverage/

Dental opt-out forms and family dental enrollment forms for the 2020-2021 academic year are now available on our site.  The deadline to submit Unit 1 change of coverage forms is September 25th, 2020.  Due to the office closure caused by the pandemic, please email a clear copy of your forms to administrator@cupe3906.org.

PLEASE CLICK HERE for important information about opting-out of dental coverage and enrolling in family dental coverage.

Please note that you must complete a change of coverage form (i.e., a dental opt-out form or a family dental enrollment form) and provide appropriate supporting documentation every academic year  if you wish your opt-out/family enrollment status to continue.   All members are automatically enrolled in single dental coverage every academic year (unless we receive a completed change of coverage form with appropriate supporting documentation).

If you are not working as a TA or RA (in lieu of TA) until the Winter 2021 (or the Spring/Summer 2021 term), you can submit these forms in the first 30 days of your employment in those terms.

PLEASE CLICK HERE for a 2020-2021 UNIT 1 DENTAL OPT-OUT FORM.

PLEASE CLICK HERE for a 2020-2021 UNIT 1 FAMILY DENTAL ENROLLMENT FORM

Please note that these forms are for your status as an employee at McMaster University.  If you are a student and have questions about extended health coverage opt-outs/family enrollments, and/or dental opt-outs or family denal enrollments for non-employees, please contact the McMaster Graduate Students’ Association or the McMaster Students’ Union (undergraduates) for more information.

*IMPORTANT! BLACKOUT PERIOD *Please note that claims that are submitted in September may be initially rejected by the insurance company even if you are eligible for dental benefits.  This is likely due to a payroll processing delay and benefit enrollment period and has nothing to do with your eligibility.  Alternatively, if you are not receiving employment payment as  TA/RA in lieu in the fall term you will not appear on Equitable Life’s eligibility list [and will have to submit your claims in the winter and/or spring/summer term(s)].  If you meet the eligibility criteria and your claim is rejected, please contact administrator@cupe3906.org.  All eligible members may experience a delay in their receipt of reimbursement cheques for claims made in September.*

For more information on our Unit 1 dental plan, please visit: https://cupe3906.org/tas-unit-1/dental-plan/

We can now confirm that multiple departments at McMaster University (the Employer) intend to exclude all Teaching Assistants working outside the province of Ontario (but elsewhere in Canada) from the bargaining unit. Practically speaking, this means stripping out-of-province TAs of the rights, privileges, and protections afforded by their membership with CUPE 3906, and we have every reason to believe this will be a university-wide practice that causes major problems for many Unit 1 members. Losing one’s rights as a Union member not only leaves a person vulnerable to all sorts of unjust labour practices, it also means no longer having access to the many benefits and services that the Union provides.

The protections and services these members will lose include (but are not limited to):

• Wage protections
• Dental benefits
• A Health Care Spending Account
• UHIP rebates
• The Gender Affirmation Fund
• Protections against harassment and discrimination
• Protections against unjust termination
• Various paid and unpaid leaves
• Access to the grievance process
• Access to collective bargaining
• Access to CUPE 3906 Membership Meetings

McMaster officials claim their decision to exclude out-of-province TAs from the Union was made based on their interpretation of the Unit 1 Collective Agreement; however, they have yet to explain how such a callous act – in the middle of a pandemic – could ever be conceived as ethical or responsible. We not only disagree on their supposed entitlement to make such a decision, but also condemn their actions as a cruel and blatant example of union busting. The University stands to gain nothing from this practice but the chance to destabilize the Union and, by extension, put all CUPE 3906 members at risk.

The Union has attempted to resolve this matter internally via a Letter of Understanding (LOU) that would ensure no members have to face further undue hardship as we all struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts. Unfortunately, we have received little response from the Employer and have no reason to think they are currently interested in signing the proposed LOU. Our preference would have been to find a solution without causing worry for our members; however, the University has made it clear that this won’t be possible.

The Union is pursuing every avenue we have to fight this, but we cannot do it alone. We need all CUPE 3906 members and allies to join us in pressuring McMaster to abandon any and all plans to exclude out-of-province TAs from the bargaining unit. We ask that you please sign and share this letter calling on the administration to sign our LOU and commit to recognizing the continued membership of out-of-province TAs so long as online course, lab, and tutorial delivery remain as replacements for in-person instruction.

Without such an agreement, the impending exclusions are bound to affect our friends, family, and colleagues. As Union members and allies, we must stand together and tell McMaster that this cruel practice is unacceptable.