CUPE 3906

As you may have heard, the Ford government – on the day they announced that the legislature would recess for 5 months – introduced a draconian piece of legislation that would place a wage restraint on public sector workers, require the provincial minister to approve a new collective agreement, and restrict free collective bargaining. As we hear more, we will provide updates. Below is a message from CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn.

Ford Government’s attack on workers’ rights a continuation of their assault on the people of Ontario, says CUPE Ontario President

TORONTO, June 5, 2019 /CNW/ – Legislation tabled today at Queen’s Park that would violate public employees’ right to engage in free collective bargaining is a continuation of the Ford Government’s assault on the people of Ontario, said the Leader of the Ontario Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE Ontario).

Fred Hahn made the comments today after the Government tabled so-called ‘wage restraint’ legislation that will affect union and non-union employees this afternoon.

“Over and over again, we see the Ford Government continuing its assault on the people of Ontario. We saw it when they cancelled a scheduled increase to the minimum wage and when they stalled increases to social assistance. We saw it when they passed a budget that has resulted in devastating cutbacks to schools, universities, health care, social service agencies, libraries and a host of other services,” said Hahn.

“Now, after a sham ‘consultation’, the Ford Government is showing its hand again, targeting hardworking front line workers with legislation aimed at driving down wages, benefits and working conditions for public employees. In CUPE, our members make an average salary of $40,000 a year, and over the last decade, if there have been pay increases at all, they have not kept pace with inflation. The Government is sending a clear message to other employers that it’s open season on their employees as well,” he added.

“A government which forgoes billions in revenues, wastes hundreds of millions (and possibly another billion) more by casting aside signed contracts, which then tries to balance the books on the backs of hundreds of thousands of hard-working Ontarians while proclaiming the need for ‘wage restraint’ legislation should be considered a disgrace said Hahn.

He went on to urge every Ontarian—not just CUPE members—not to stand for a government that is indifferent to the harm they are causing to the norms and values Ontarians cherish.

“Ontarians need to make their voices heard—in their MPPs offices, in their communities, on the streets and on the grounds of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. CUPE Members will be standing shoulder to shoulder with them. If left to their own devices, Doug Ford and his government will inflict irreparable damage on this province. No one can sit this one out,” said Hahn.

The 3906 Unit 3 (Postdocs) bargaining team was at the bargaining table late this afternoon when we were informed of this draconian, unprecedented, and unconstitutional intrusion into the collective bargaining process.

We know that the government plans on capping wage increases at 1% for three years, but that the legislature will be put on recess beginning tomorrow. The legislation will not be passed until November. It is unclear how this will impact our bargaining and our members.

Our Unit 1 bargaining team (which includes staff and some executive members) will be bargaining with McMaster all of this upcoming week (June 10 to 14). As a result, the office will be open only intermittently. If you need to schedule an appointment, please contact administrator@cupe3906.org for benefits related inquiries, or staff@cupe3906.org for inquires related to your collective agreement.

Attn Sessional Faculty: Our Benefits Committee will be meeting on Monday, June 3 to review and approve the Professional Development Fund applications from the Winter 2019 semester. You’ll hear back from the committee shortly thereafter. We apologize for the delay.

Our latest bargaining update is now online!

Learn about what happened at our first face-to-face meeting with the Employer’s bargaining team. 👇👇👇

CUPE 3906 Bargaining Bulletin #3 — Unit 3: Postdoctoral Fellows

The ticketing and removal from campus of McMaster students engaging in a peaceful protest on campus should NEVER happened to begin with. We’re glad to hear that the charges were dropped.

The right to protest is fundamental and cannot be infringed upon as it was recently.

If you are teaching in the spring 2019 semester and have not previously taught this academic year (ie/ since September 2018), a $170 dental premium deduction will be applied to your June 7th pay deposit. More information about the plan can be found by clicking here.

You are able to opt-out of the plan (with proof of alternate coverage)  by May 31st.

You can also add family coverage for an additional cost (see above link), but must also do so by May 31st.

If you are beginning work in the Spring Term, the “first day of work” on your Record of Employment (ROE) will be listed as May 6, 2019. If you are currently collecting EI, you should also be reporting this start date on your bi-weekly reports and you’ll stop receiving EI payments effective May 5, 2019.

If you are beginning work in the Summer Term, the “first day of work” on your Record of Employment will be listed as June 24, 2019. If you are collecting EI, you should also be reporting this start date on your bi-weekly reports and you’ll stop receiving EI payments effective June 23, 2019.

IF you were collecting EI during the first week of January 2019 AND you had a Sessional appointment for the Winter Term 2019, can you please let us know? Your Union and McMaster University want to ensure that the first day of work date was properly recorded on your Winter Term 2019 Record of Employment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HAMILTON, ON — The union representing teaching assistants and postdoctoral fellows at McMaster University has provided its formal notice to bargain to the McMaster administration.

The union — the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3906 (CUPE 3906), which represents approximately 3,500 members — is ready to bring forward proposals that will increase equity, fairness, and stability for its members and for the students that they support.

Workers from both bargaining units aim to increase their funding, improve working conditions, and reduce the amount of financial instability that they experience during their time at McMaster. In short, they are looking to build a #BetterMac.

For Unit 1 (teaching assistants), a #BetterMac means fighting to expand the support for mental and physical health and wellness, increase the paid training they receive before they enter the classroom, and achieve better representation for indigenous members.

“We are bargaining for the common good,” said James Watson, member of the Unit 1 Bargaining Team. “This isn’t only about teaching assistant or research assistant work in a narrow sense. It’s about what’s best for the entire McMaster community and what’s best for our students.”

For Unit 3 (postdoctoral fellows), a #BetterMac means fighting to expand the support available for their families and for their academic and career development. It also means the creation of a pension plan, which postdocs have identified a major priority.

“Currently, we don’t have access to a pension plan,” says Zobia Jawed, CUPE 3906 Benefits Officer and member of the Unit 3 bargaining team. “But I want to ensure I have some amount of financial support available for me when I retire.”

“There is a very large difference in retirement savings between a worker who benefits from pension contributions immediately post-PhD, and a worker who has to wait until after their postdoc positions are over,” says Toby Brown, a member of the Unit 3 bargaining team. “It’s important that we find a way to address this earnings gap.”

Now that the notice to bargain has been issued, CUPE 3906’s elected bargaining teams for Units 1 and 3 will prepare their proposals and get ready to meet McMaster’s bargaining teams at the negotiating table. The union and the employer have dates scheduled in early May to begin negotiations for the new Unit 3 collective agreement, and dates set in early June for the new Unit 1 collective agreement.

“In Doug Ford’s Ontario, our education system is under attack at every level,” said Angie Perez, CUPE 3906 President. “That’s all the more reason why McMaster cannot afford to move backwards when it comes to the learning conditions of our students and the working conditions of our teachers and researchers.”

“In this round of bargaining, we need to come together to fight the growth of precarious work on our campus. Our members contribute so much to the McMaster community, and they deserve support to build a family and plan for the future.”

Unit 1 is CUPE 3906’s largest unit with over 2,900 members, and includes graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants, research assistants (in lieu of a TAship), demonstrators, markers, tutors and super tutors. Unit 3 is CUPE 3906’s smallest unit with just over 170 members, and consists of postdoctoral fellows working at McMaster University. Both the Unit 1 and Unit 3 collective agreements expire on August 31.

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For more information:

Angie Perez, CUPE 3906 President, president@cupe3906.org

Brad Walchuk, Chief Negotiator – Unit 1, bwalchuk@cupe3906.org

Mary Ellen Campbell, Chief Negotiator – Unit 3, mecampbell@cupe3906.org