You may have seen it in paper copy, but here’s our fall newsletter.
Dental Plan for Sessionals (Unit 2 members)
Over the past few years, CUPE 3906 has been in the process of negotiating and establishing a premium-based dental plan for our Unit 2 Members.
We are pleased to announce that we are finally launching the dental coverage for our members this fall.
The coverage provides 100% for most standard basic services up to $1,000 per calendar year. Access to the benefit is subject to current eligibility, which is determined by Unit 2 employment within the current academic year. The member cost for single dental coverage is $170.00 for the current academic year (i.e., September 1, 2018-August 31, 2019).
Members will be automatically enrolled in single coverage (unless they are otherwise covered by our Unit 1 or Unit 3 plan). Participation in the plan is mandatory for Unit 2 members, unless members can provide proof of alternate coverage in another dental plan. Members can elect to enroll in family coverage (which provides up to $2,000 in coverage per family per calendar year subject to the enrollment period (however there is an additional cost to enroll in family coverage).
For more general information about plan, including a link to the coverage booklet, please visit our website: https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/unit-2-dental-coverage/
For important information about opting out of the dental plan, or enrolling in our family dental coverage, please see this important letter: https://cupe3906.org/files/2018/09/Dental-Letter-to-Members-U2-Fall-2018.pdf
To obtain a copy of the DENTAL OPT-OUT FORM, please click here: https://cupe3906.org/files/2018/09/CUPE-U2-DENTAL-OPT-OUT-2018-2019-NEW-2.pdf
Please note that we require supporting documentation (i.e., proof of alternate dental coverage with your name on it) to opt-out of the plan.
To obtain a copy of the FAMILY DENTAL ENROLLMENT FORM, please click here: https://cupe3906.org/files/2018/09/2018-Unit-2-Family-Dental-Enrollment-NEW-2-1.pdf
Please note that there are IMPORTANT DEADLINES associated with opting-out of the plan and enrolling into the family dental coverage. THE DEADLINE for OPT-OUTS and FAMILY ENROLLMENTS is OCTOBER 1st, 2018.
Questions can be addressed to administrator@cupe3906.org. Due to the high volume of questions we anticipate, please do read the important letter (see: the second link above) before sending questions.
Political Action Committee Meeting- September 11th at 4 p.m.
Hello to new members interested in joining the Political Action Committee (PAC) of CUPE 3906 at McMaster!
We hope everyone is having a good start to the new school year. This is a reminder email that we’ll be having our first PAC meeting of the semester this Tuesday September 11th at 4pm. The meeting will be held in the CUPE 3906 union office in Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH) room B111.
We’ll be sharing updates from the summer and electing two new PAC co-chairs at this meeting – we look forward to seeing you there!
There will be snacks!
In solidarity,
-Chloe & Rosa
Dental Benefit Information for Unit 1 (TA/RAs in lieu) members
This message contains IMPORTANT and TIME-SENSITIVE information that may require your immediate attention.
If you (1) are employed as a Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant (in lieu of a Teaching Assistant) between September 1, 2018 and August 31, 2019, and (2) hold an undergraduate degree, you will automatically be enrolled in single dental coverage under the CUPE 3906 plan.
If you hold other coverage under a spouse or a parent, and wish to opt-out of our dental plan, you have until September 28 to do so.
If you wish to enroll in family dental coverage, you have until September 28 to do so.
For more information on how to opt-out of the plan or enroll in family coverage, please read this important information: https://cupe3906.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/501/2018/08/CUPE-3906-Unit-1-Dental-Letter-2018-2019.pdf
For general information on the plan and for links to the opt-out and enrollment form, please visit our Unit 1 dental benefits website, here: https://cupe3906.org/tas-unit-1/dental-plan/
We wish you best of luck in the upcoming year.
Labour Day 2018
As you likely know, Labour Day is this upcoming Monday (September 3rd). Not only is this the last long-weekend of the summer, it is an important recognition of the role of working people in Canada.
As always, your Union will be participating in the Hamilton and District Labour Council’s events, which include a parade in the downtown core and a BBQ celebration at Bayfront thereafter. Full details are available here.
We’ll be meeting around 10 a.m. at Stuart and Bay for the parade, and we hope to see you there. You can also join us for lunch at Bayfront after the parade. We’ll have free hamburgers and drinks. We’ll be sharing space with CUPE Local 5167.
We’ll also have some free swag on hand, including CUPE 3906 sunglasses, cell phone wallets, water bottles, and lanyards. CUPE National President Mark Hancock will also be joining us for the festivities.
If you have any questions, please contact our Political Action Committee: politicalaction@cupe3906.org or vpexternal@cupe3906.org
In solidarity,
Your CUPE 3906 Executive and Political Action Committee
September General Membership Meeting- Weds, Sept 26 at 12:30
Our first General Membership Meeting (GMM) of the academic year will take place in MUSC 311-13 on Wednesday, September 26th at 12:30. As always, pizza lunch and childcare reimbursements are provided.
We will be debating and ratifying the 2018-19 operating budget at this important meeting. Further agenda items will be finalized closer to the meeting.
Unit 2 (Sessionals) Benefits Changes
Thank you everyone who attended the General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, August 22 at noon. The meeting went well and we had many U2 members who joined the meeting, asked questions/clarification and context behind these new proposed changes to the Health Care Spending Account.
The two co-pay options were discussed as follows: Option 1: 70% co-pay option and no travel insurance and Option 2: 55% co-pay option with travel insurance.
The U2 members present at the meeting unanimously supported the 70% co-pay option without the travel insurance (option 1). This simply means that a U2 member can get back 7 dollars for every 10 dollars claimed. So, out of 500 dollars allocated, the U2 member can claim 350 dollars from Health Care Spending Account.
These new changes will take place for U2 Health Care Spending Account Claims starting September 1st, 2018. If you have any further questions, please contact the CUPE office (administrator@cupe3906.org) and/or benefits officer (benefits@cupe3906.org)
Travel insurance will still be available for Unit 2 members use until March 2019 (when the purchased insurance expires) at which point it will not be renewed.
Unit 2 (sessional) Pay Dates and Work
There are potential impacts to an employee’s EI if their first day worked is stated as September 1. EI is payable Sunday to Saturday and since this is part of the payable week it may impact their earnings. Therefore the start date for the Fall Term will be September 2.
Pay periods for the 2018-19 academic year are as follows: https://cupe3906.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/501/2018/08/2018-19-pay-peroids.pdf
General Membership Meeting- Aug 22nd at noon
Dear Members,
The Union’s most significant decisions are made by Union members at General Membership Meetings (GMMs).
All CUPE 3906 members of all 3 units (TAs and RAs in lieu, Sessional Faculty, Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty and Postdoctoral Fellows) can attend regular GMMs and get involved in the Union’s decision making processes.
Our next GMM will be held on Wednesday, August 22nd at noon in BSB 108.
We offer a free lunch and reimbursement for childcare costs. The agenda will include a discussion of the Stoney Creek Rent Strike and a sponsorship package of the Workers’ Arts and Heritage Centre.
We hope to see you there!
August General Membership Meeting
We will be holding our August General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, August 22nd at noon in BSB 108. The agenda will be posted in advance of the meeting. We hope to see you all there.