Over on our bargaining specific site (bettermac.ca) we have a pledge that we’re asking all Unit 2 (sessionals) to sign. It asks to you urge the administration to stabilize your employment conditions by significantly improving job security through strengthening First Consideration rights, and to recognize the value of your work and bargain in good faith on your wages and to make your benefits sustainable and affordable for members.

We value your support, and the only way to an improved collective agreement is through an engaged and supportive membership!

As you may have heard, the opt-out date for the Unit 1 (TA/RA in lieu) dental plan is September 30th, 2017. New opt-out forms for the 2017-18 year will be available shortly. We appreciate the patience and will post these to our website and message members as soon as the new forms are made available by our dental provider.

One of the most frustrating parts of the new semester can be ensuring proper A/V support in your classroom. Here is a AV 2017-18 Info for Classroom A/V Services (CAVS) staff who can help you with any A/V or space issues in your classroom.

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 (our last for the 2016-2017 academic year) will be held on Tuesday, August 29th at noon in Togo Salmon Hall (TSH) B105.

Agenda items will include: vote on Unit 3 dues adjustment; approval of funds for Unit 1 mobilizing event + informational materials; updates on Unit 2 Bargaining; as well as the following elections:

• Unit 2 Bargaining Team Note-taker

As usual, there will be free lunch and childcare costs to attend the meeting can be reimbursed.

Have additional questions? Email staff@cupe3906.org

In solidarity,

Graham Baker, President, CUPE 3906

Attention Post-Doctoral Fellows, your union is happy to announce that it is increasingly the professional development fund entitlement to $125/member, that it is a launching a health care spending account ($125/member per year) for items not fully covered by the SunLife plan, and that the 2017-18 dental plan rate will be a mere $4.00/mth for single coverage.  All of these benefits were achieved through collective bargaining.  Please check your e-mail for full details, and let us know if you didn’t receive our e-mail blast with this information.

Please find attached a statement from the CUPE 3906 executive, in which we – in no uncertain terms – strongly condemn the white supremacist and white nationalist groups, the fascists, the Ku Klux Klan, and the neo-Nazis who marched on Charlottesville as well as the racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, and anti-immigrant ideologies that fueled that march and are present in both Canada and the United States.

It’ll be a busy two weeks for your Unit 2 (Sessionals) bargaining team, who will be meeting with the Employer in 8 of the next 9 business days to secure a #BetterMac.  As a result, however, the office will be operating at a reduced capacity. Our wonderful administrator Amarjeet is in the office, but she’ll be in-and-out with mobilizing duties. In short, if you need to talk to us, please let us know in advance so we can ensure someone is in the office. We have a locked drop box outside the office if you need to leave any forms.

Just a quick reminder to our sessionals that applications for the Unit 2 Professional Development Fund are due on Friday, August 4th. We won’t be processing late applications, so be sure to have yours in on time!

For details: http://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/professional-development-fund-unit-2/

Here is a detailed update after the first two meetings with the University’s negotiating team last week. As you will see, the two sides have found some agreement on a number of smaller, procedural (or “housekeeping”) issues but remain far apart with respect to the priorities that our members have identified.

We are in a recess right now and will be back at the table by mid-August.

In the meantime, we’d like to hear from you! Please take a moment to check you e-mail and fill out our first of several Quick Bargaining Surveys. These surveys will be just a few questions long and will help to clarify where our members stand on various employment issues.

To encourage good participation in this endeavor, we’re offering a bit of an incentive: $20-, $30- and $50-valued prizes for 3 lucky respondents!

In solidarity for a #BetterMac
Graham Baker, President, CUPE 3906
on behalf of the Unit 2 Bargaining Team