Here are a few useful updates and reminders from your Union relevant to the end of the term. Specifically, this mailer concerns the following:

1. Final Payment
2. Large Class Supplement
3. Post-Contract work
4. Employment Insurance
5. Professional Development
6. Health Spending Account
7. First Consideration Appointments
8. Teaching and Learning Month Opportunities

Final Payment

The final pay of the winter semester arrived in your account on Friday April 21^st and covers the period from April 2^nd to April 15^th. As of April 21^st, your contract was officially over.

Large Class Supplement

Some sessionals have yet to be paid the Large Class Supplemental Fee. For those of you earning the base rate and teaching a class with more than 75 students, please note that your last pay stub should reflect an additional supplementary payment of $2.00 per student per unit for each student above 75. For a typical 3-unit course, this would amount to $6.00 per student for each student above 75. If you taught a class with more than 75 students and you have yet to see the supplemental fee added, please reach out to us immediately. If the payment is not processed soon, it could adversely impact EI entitlement, so please follow-up with your us or your department administrator this week and let us know if there are any issues.

Post-Contract work
Any post-contract work (that is, work requested by your supervisor and done after your final grades have been submitted) is separate from your contract and payable at a rate of $68.72/hour. This would include reviewing grades that are being challenged, marking exam that have been deferred, and dealing with cases of plagiarism. This is not an exhaustive list, and more information, including the appropriate form you’ll need to fill out and submit to get paid, is available here. If you are asked to perform this work and are collecting EI, please let us know.

Once your marks have been submitted (the main list, this does not need to include any deferred exams or extensions based on accommodations), your contract is over, and this triggers the beginning of the post-contract period.

Employment Insurance
The final pay was April 21^st. This final pay triggered what Service Canada refers to as an ‘interruption of earnings’ and should be the date you list on your EI application as the last pay date (not the date for which you were last paid). The ‘day for which you were last paid’ and your ‘last day worked’ should be listed as April 15^th.  We would encourage all Sessionals who may utilize Employment Insurance at any point in 2023 to apply as soon as possible, even if you are employed during the spring term.

The first pay in the spring term, for those of you who are employed, will be on May 19^th and the first day of work will be April 30^th. This means you might be able to collect EI from April 16^th to April 29^th if you have enough insurable hours. For information on EI, click here. If you have already served a withholding period in the past 52 weeks, you should be able to collect EI as of April 16^th. If you have not served a withholding period, you will need to serve a one week over period before you collect EI.

In certain instances, it is possible to both work and collect EI (with some clawbacks) if the amount of work have in the winter has dropped substantially from the work you had during the fall term. More information is available here.

The employer will upload your ROE automatically to Service Canada at some point this week or early next week, but please apply to EI as soon as you can if you plan to utilize EI in the spring or summer.

Professional Development

For those of you who are curious, applications made to the Professional Development Fund this semester were adjudicated earlier this month and we will provide you with an update on your outcome as soon as we can. Cheques will be cut as soon as possible and should arrive shortly.

If you’ve missed the previous winter semester’s deadline, no worries. We have one final deadline for Unit 2 Professional Development Fund applications for this academic year – August 4th, 2023. All applications for the 2022-23 academic year MUST be submitted in advance of August 4^th.

Health Spending Account

Finally, a quick reminder that your Health Care Spending Account entitlement was recently increased to $500 per academic year. The fund covers the cost of various health care related expenses (as approved by Revenue Canada) and provides a tax-free reimbursement to you. More information is available here: https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/unit-2-benefits/

There is no cost or fee to you. The fund is secured through collective bargaining and made available to members to use as needed.

First Consideration Appointments

One major question we get related to seniority relates to job security. Sessionals have job security in the form of First Consideration Appointments. These function in the same way as a right of first refusal. First Consideration Appointments are a form of job security that occurs when you are appointed to a course without having to apply to it through a competitive application process.

You become eligible for a Standard First Consideration Appointment when you have taught the course for two consecutive appointments after applying to teach it in two open competitions. With First Consideration, you are entitled to be appointed to that course, without it being posted or you needing to apply for it, the next three times that it is offered to Sessional Faculty.

Members who have completed a Standard First Consideration Appointment are then eligible for an Enhanced First Consideration Appointment. When the course is posted again and you are hired in an open competition, you are then entitled to be appointed to that course, without needing to apply for it, the next four times that the course is offered to Sessionals.

Once you have secured a Standard or Enhanced First Consideration, the department can extend your appointment and continue to appoint you directly.

Teaching and Learning Month Opportunities

May is Teaching and Learning month at McMaster, and many useful courses are being offered. Many of these courses are included in our Training Fund, which provides payment for completion of certain courses ($100 per course, maximum of $300 per year). Please consult the Training Fund link for more information and to access the application form. The fund includes training includes the Learning to Teach Online Course, Intensive Workshops, Teaching & Learning Certificates of Completion Program, and Professor Hippo-on-Campus (Student Mental Health Education Program for Educators and Navigators).

Below are some opportunities being offered by the MacPherson Institute that you may be interested in, though not all are covered by the Training Fund. Many of the events are now listed on the Teaching and Learning Month Zoom Event page, and it is being updated regularly.

EDUCATN 740: Peer-Evaluated Teaching Experience  **eligible under Teaching Fund**

This zero-unit graduate course is offered in a small group setting and is designed to enhance teaching effectiveness. During the course (full attendance is mandatory to earn a pass), students design and conduct short lessons and receive verbal, written, and video feedback from the other students who have been learners in the lessons. Using an intensive experiential learning approach, students are provided with information on the theory and practice of teaching adult learners, the selection and writing of useful intended learning outcomes with accompanying lesson plans, techniques for eliciting learner participation, and suggestions for evaluation of learning. Reflection and examination of one’s teaching practices are encouraged.

Format: Virtual and Online

Dates & Times:  Students will complete asynchronous work Monday, May 1 to Friday, May 5, as well as select two of the following options:

Wednesday, May 10, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Thursday, May 11, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Wednesday, May 17, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Thursday, May 18, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Wednesday, May 24, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Thursday, May 25, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Wednesday, May 31, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Thursday, June 1, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Wednesday, June 7, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Thursday, June 8, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Wednesday, June 14, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Thursday, June 15, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

EDUCATN 780: Essential Skills in University Teaching **eligible under Teaching Fund**

In this zero-unit graduate course, learners will engage in a self-directed teaching experience in order to apply teaching and learning theory in a real-world context. Critical examination of the colonial origins of the university as it relates to teaching and learning theory and the learning environment is a key component of this course. Learners will develop a teaching application plan, deliver their lesson, and observe a lesson. Learners will reflect on their experience throughout the course and identify further areas for growth and exploration.

Format: Virtual and Online

Dates & Times: This course will largely take place asynchronously with weekly in-person class sessions on the following dates:

Tuesday, May 9, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Tuesday, May 16, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Tuesday, May 23, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Tuesday, May 30, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Tuesday, August 1, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Note: you must be able to identify a teaching opportunity in the term you have registered (e.g., teaching a course, guest lecture, teaching in a volunteer/work setting, etc.) at the beginning of the course. If you have questions about the appropriateness of your teaching opportunity, please email Stephanie Verkoeyen (verkoeys@mcmaster.ca).

Featured Workshops:

Conflict Resolution In The Workplace

Conflict at work is inevitable; it’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when. Gain the skills, strategies and best practices to manage workplace conflict in a sensible, equitable manner; strengthening your working relationships.

Date: May 1-2, 2023

Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. ET

Course Code: ESS 899

Instructor: Lesley Calvin

Flexible Work as a Catalyst for Organizational Agility & Well-being

How do leaders move beyond words and make the commitment to enable this strategy in their environment, with a goal to improve productivity, equity, and morale? Explore successful practices that support a productive, flexible workplace strategy that benefits both the individual’s growth potential and the organization’s success.

Date: May 4, 2023

Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

Course Code: ESS 913

Instructor: Jennifer Hagen

Remote Work – Strategies for Efficiency

Remote work is here to stay. The good news is working remotely can be productive, effective, and convenient. To achieve this, we need to be prepared, which means thinking beyond technology. Remote work involves structure, clear goals, and strong communication practices.

Date: May 11, 2023

Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

Course Code: ESS 905

Instructor: Lori Stephenson

We wanted to send a reminder that the postdoc bargaining team secured a tentative agreement with McMaster University and we are recommending the members ratify it. The specific details of the new tentative agreement will be shared with you at an upcoming ratification meeting held via Zoom on Tuesday, April 18th at noon. The registration link for this meeting has been sent to your McMaster email address.

At this meeting, we will also be electing a Chief Steward for Unit 3. All members in good standing can run.

Your CUPE 3906 postdoc bargaining team (Nabeel, Aly, Javier, Afshin)

After eight long months of bargaining, your Unit 3 postdoctoral fellow bargaining team is pleased to report that we secured a tentative agreement with McMaster University at a bargaining session yesterday and we are recommending the members ratify it. The specific details of the new tentative agreement will be shared with members at an upcoming ratification meeting held via Zoom on Tuesday, April 18th at noon.

In solidarity,

Your CUPE 3906 postdoc bargaining team (Nabeel, Aly, Javier, Afshin)

As the CUPE 4600 strike at Carleton University enters its second week, unions of contract academic workers across the province stand in solidarity. Contract Instructors and Teaching Assistants at Carleton are standing up to the university, not just for fair pay in the face of a cost of living crisis, but to protect their intellectual property and ensure there are reasonable limits in place on the number of students a TA can be responsible for.

This is just the latest disruption in a growing strike wave in which academic workers across the country are standing up to the increasingly anti-worker and anti-student governance of our institutions. Workers at Dalhousie and McMaster were on strike for three weeks each over the fall to fight for better pay in the face of record inflation. Faculty Associations across the country have been striking for job security and against administrative greed.

In every case, these actions have won the support of students who are tired of seeing their tuition dollars diverted to administrative bloat and away from the academic workers they rely on, many of whom are now struggling to make ends meet. Carleton is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in reserves and paying their senior administrators a fortune while their TAs and CIs struggle to keep up with the rising cost of rent. They are paid substantially less than their University of Ottawa counterparts who do the exact same work in the exact same city.

We will stand in support of striking academic workers at Carleton for as long as it takes for them to win a fair contract. We join them and the growing chorus of concerned voices in demanding that Carleton return to the bargaining table with a fair offer–one that recognizes the importance of their work and gives them the tools and protections they need to provide their students with the education they deserve.

In solidarity,

Chris Fairweather- President, CUPE 3906 (McMaster University)

Eriks Bredovskis- President, CUPE 3902 (University of Toronto)

Nathan Cecckin- President, CUPE 4207 (Brock University)

Scott Duchesne- President, CUPE 3913 (University of Guelph)

Catherine Larocque- President, CUPE 2626 (University of Ottawa)

Stephanie Latella- Chairperson, CUPE 3903 (York University)

CUPE 3906 congratulates Eduardo and Jing on their receipt of The Inspiring International Student of the Year Award (2022-2023), awarded by our International Committee!  We are grateful for all of our amazing international students, who make McMaster University strong!

CUPE 3906 members in each of our three units (TAs, Sessionals/HRSMF, Postdocs) have access to McMaster’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) at no cost under our collective agreements. This service is confidential and provides access to a wide variety of counselling services and is offered under the same basis as other employee groups on campus. Effective April 1, 2023, McMaster has contracted a new provider (Telus Health) who will be taking over from Homewood.

Information about the new EFAP provider, including contact information, can be found here and here. To contact Telus Health for EFAP, call 1-833-366-4544 or download the LifeWorks app (via your AppStore).

Any members who are currently accessing ongoing counselling through Homewood will retain access to their current provider, even beyond April 1st.

To learn more about the EFAP as well as mental health and well-being resources available to McMaster employees, please see:

• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
• Mental Health Resources
• Employee Well-being

The Mike Skinner Award is a member-mandated award offered by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3906 on an annual basis. Its title honours long-time labour activist and former CUPE 3906 Staff Member Mike Skinner.

The recipient of the Mike Skinner Award may have been involved in the following possible issues over the course of their time with CUPE 3906:

• Fighting for social justice issues (these issues are diverse and can include environmental justice, labour solidarity, gender equality, equity issues, and the advancement of peace);
• Promoting the welfare of humanity and the environment, and the elimination of pain and suffering through acts of community organizing, mobilization, education and/or solidarity;
• Labour organizing and solidarity in support of workers in Hamilton, Canada, or abroad.

The value of the award is $500 to one person (or committee), an award certificate and an inscription on the Mike Skinner Award plaque. This award is open to all current members of CUPE 3906 (this includes all Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants in lieu, Sessional Faculty, Hourly Rated Sessional Music Faculty and Postdoctoral Fellows), and/or anyone who has been a member of the local between January 2022 and March 2023. This year’s award will be for the 2022-23 year.

The nomination period for this award is from February 7, 2022 to March 7, 2023.

Award Criteria:
Please review the award criteria, and, when writing your letter of nomination and seeking supporting letters from others, include the nominee’s specific contributions. The main criterions are:

• Impact of their service to the community;
• Length and level of involvement or commitment of the nominee to their act of community service;
• The dedication and courage of the nominee’s activism.

The selection committee is comprised of members of the CUPE 3906 executive and members-at-large. Members of the selection committee cannot nominate a candidate, and members of the selection committee who have personal ties with the nominees must yield their place to another member of the Executive or a CUPE member-at-large nominated by the members of the selection committee.

This year’s Award will be presented at the Annual General Meeting in late March or our GMM in early April, 2023.

We look forward to receiving your nomination of an amazing CUPE 3906 member.

For further information please contact president@cupe3906.org or staff@cupe3906.org

Unit 2 members (Sessional Faculty and Sessional Music Faculty) can apply to the Professional Development Fund (PDF) administered by the Union. The final Winter 2023 term deadline for the Unit 2 PDF is April 12th, 2023.

We are now accepting applications electronically for professional development funds until further notice. Please e-mail your application in one document to your benefits officer at benefits@cupe3906.org 

For information about eligibility, entitlement, and a copy of the PDF application form please visit:
https://cupe3906.org/sessionals-unit-2/professional-development-fund-unit-2/

If you have questions about how to submit your application, please contact: benefits@cupe3906.org and/or administrator@cupe3906.org