CUPE 3906

1. A  group of us will be meeting at the CUPE office (KTH B111) at 11:00 AM and taking the bus from campus to the nearby schools in Westdale together (closest stop: Longwood @ King). The more, the merrier!
2. It is VERY important that each person sign in with at Picket Captain upon arrival at the picket line. This goes for those who arrive in the large group, and for those who find their own transportation to the picket line. Picket Captains are typically easy to locate. Look for brightly coloured hats, vests, or other distinctive clothing.
3. Come by the CUPE office anytime before 11:00 AM Friday to grab your very own 3906 toque to wear on the picket line!
4. Those interested can also come by the office to make your own signs in support of Ontario’s education workers, starting at 9:00 AM Friday morning. We will provide the supplies!

We are getting questions about accessing McMaster T4 and T2202A tax forms from members.  We don’t believe they are available yet, but the Employer must make them available by the end of this month.

As you may know, the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covering Sessional Faculty and Hourly-Rated Music Faculty expires on August 31, 2020. The CBA is a legal employment contract covering all sessionals that outlines their rights, benefits, and privileges.

Unit 2 members (Hourly-Rated Sessional Music Faculty and Sessional Faculty, including MELD Sessionals) will be electing their bargaining team at a Special General Membership Meeting beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, February 24th in MUSC 311/313. Interested members will have the chance to address the membership short after 12:00 and voting will occur immediately thereafter. The Local’s President, Nathan Todd, will also speak about his experience bargaining with McMaster this past year for Unit 1 (TAs), as well as for Sessionals in 2017 with a Q and A session to follow. As per our by-laws:

The Unit 2 Bargaining committee shall consist of not more than four (4) members in good standing of which the majority must be from Unit 2, elected by Unit 2 members at a General Membership Meeting. The bargaining team may choose to be assisted by an advisor, a staff representative/business agent, and/or a person with secretarial functions. The National Representative assigned to the local shall be a non-voting member of the Committee and shall be consulted at all stages from formulating proposals, through negotiations, to contract ratification by membership.

We also elect an alternate team member in the event that one of the members is unable to complete their term on the bargaining team. Each position comes with a monthly honorarium of $300.

Members can self-nominate (at the meeting or via e-mail in advance) or have someone else nominate them. We encourage all members interested to submit a written statement that will be copied and left in the room for members who arrive who may arrive late. All members who run at the meeting will be given 2 minutes to address their co-workers. In order to be elected, a candidate must receive more than 50% of votes. Subsequent run-off elections will be held, if needed, until 4 members and one alternate have met this threshold. Should more than the required number of members meet this threshold, those receiving the most votes will be elected.

For any questions, please contact president[@]cupe3906.org

Further details will be forthcoming, but here is the preliminary information for this month’s General Membership Meeting.

ROOM: MDCL 3020

TIME: 12:00 PM-3:00 PM

DATE:Tuesday, February 25, 2020

The Women’s AND the Equity Committee will be meeting on February 26th 2020 @ 11:00AM in the CUPE 3906 office located in KTH B111.

When and Where? Friday, February 7th, 5:30 PM in ABB 273

What? Our International Officer, Avijit Mallick, has been hard at work planning the launch of CUPE 3906’s first-ever Cricket Club! This will occur at our next International Student Night on Friday, February 7th, starting at 5:30 PM in ABB 273.

If you are an international Member of CUPE 3906 (as a TA or RA in-lieu, sessional faculty, or postdoctoral fellow), we would strongly encourage you to attend. Even if you have no interest in cricket, there will be plenty of free food to eat and socializing to do. It’s also a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have on matters such as your dental coverage and the $200 UHIP rebate. All related inquiries can be sent to Avijit at international@cupe3906.org.

If you’re a newly hired TA or Sessional (i.e. one who has not yet taught in the 2019/20 academic year), the deadline to opt out of our dental plan is Friday, January 31st. Also note that your signed copy of the opt-out form MUST be submitted with proof of alternate coverage . Our office is located in KTH B111, with a mailbox directly beside the main door for submissions made outside of regular working hours.

More information on U1 and U2 dental coverage and opt-outs can be found here.

The date of our next General Membership Meeting is:

Wednesday, January 29th
MDCL 3020
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Sign-ins start @ 11:45 AM

Sign-ins will begin at 11:45 AM and the meeting will begin at 12:00 PM sharp.

Some key agenda items:

Bylaws Committee elections (2 vacancies)
Election for the position of Undergraduate Officer
Appointing member delegates to attend the Canadian Labour Congress
Appointing member delegates to attend the OUWCC Conference
+ more to come

As usual, lunch will be provided (including vegan and gluten-free options). Childcare reimbursements are also available to those who attend.