Chocolate Day: Meet your bargaining support team

Brad WalchukUncategorized

Did you know we are in bargaining for Unit 1 and Unit 3?

Take a break, get FREE chocolate and meet and join your bargaining support team and executive members and learn more about your union’s efforts to bargain your new collective agreement, and to improve your wages, benefits and working conditions.

WHERE: In the lobby of your building (we’ll be making the rounds through campus)

WHEN: 28th of July between 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter  to find out when we are at your building

Join our efforts and tell us what a #BetterMac means to you.

We hope to see you there!

Limited Office Hours: July 25 to 29

Brad WalchukUncategorized

Dear members:

Please be advised that we will have limited office hours next week from the 25th to the 29th of July, due to our bargaining efforts for Unit 1 and Unit 3 to make #ABetterMac for you.

If you should require any assistance or wish to ask any questions please contact us by email at cupe3906@mcmaster.ca, and if you need in person assistance we advise you to  first call our office at 905-525-9140 ext. 24003 before coming to the office to ensure a person is available to help you one on one.

We apologize for the inconvenience we will return to regular office hours in August.

Thanks for your understanding

Postdoc dinner & Social Night- Olympics Opening Ceremony Rio 2016- RSVP please

Brad WalchukUncategorized

Hello Postdocs,

We hope you are enjoying the beautiful summer and all is going well! Please join us for an exciting evening watching the opening ceremony of Olympic Games 2016 in Rio. We will provide pizza, soft drinks and more, and you must provide cheering energy, flags to represent your country and good mood to hangout with old and new friends. Maybe we will end up dancing rhythm of the beautiful Brazilian music :).  At this event also you will also receive an update on progress of Unit 3 Bargaining.

REGISTRATION IS A MUST on the link below due to the limited space: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KDrnH5btLXYN1jljZVfIdBCPaYKm6Xe45wuWnzQT15k/edit?usp=sharing

WHEN: August 5th (Friday)

WHERE: JHE-328 Lounge room

TIME: 6-10 pm

Thank you and see you soon.

Cheers,

 

CUPE 3906

Sana Anbuhi

Postdoctoral Fellow & Unit 3 Chief Steward

http://cupe3906.org/postdocs-unit-3/

CUPE 3906- International Committee Olympic Event

Brad WalchukUncategorized

We hope your summer is going well. Please join us for the exciting evening watching opening ceremony of Olympic Games 2016 in Rio. We will provide pizza and soft drinks and you must provide cheering energy, flags to represent your country and good mood to hangout with old and new friends. Maybe we will end up dancing rithm of the beutiful brasilian music :).
REGISTRATION IS A MUST on the link below due to the limited space: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KDrnH5btLXYN1jljZVfIdBCPaYKm6Xe45wuWnzQT15k/edit?usp=sharing
WHEN: August 5th (Friday)
WHERE: JHE-328 Lounge room
TIME: 6-10 pm

Changes to Unit 2 Professional Development Fund

Mary Ellen CampbellUncategorized

Dear Sessional Faculty and Hourly Rated Music Faculty (Unit 2) Members,

The final adjudication for Professional Development Fund Applications for this academic year will take place after the final deadline for applications, August 05, 2016.

As per the Unit 2 members’ decisions at the Special General Membership Meeting in June 2016, there have been changes to the fund:

-the maximum yearly award is $1,000 per member;

-laptops, tablets, monitors and other basic technology are still not eligible expenses for the fund, but clickers and laser pointers are now eligible for consideration;

-there are now three main categories for consideration.  They are: Conference Participation and Certification; Books; and Technology (limited).

For more information, and to a link to the application form, please visit our Unit 2 Professional Development Fund link:

Professional Development Fund: Unit 2

Potential Delay in Mail due to Lockout of CUPW members

Brad WalchukUncategorized

Dear Members,

As you may be aware, Canada Post has been threatening to lock out its workers (represented by CUPW).
While negotiations continue and a lock-out (or strike) has been put off for a thirty-day “cooling off” period, postal workers could be forced out in several weeks.
Predictably, a lock-out will affect mailing times and delivery (including delivery of benefits cheques from our benefits company).  Accordingly, members may want to consider submitting benefits claims as soon as possible to try to avoid delays.
Finally, please keep up-to-date on the Canada Post contract negotiations and the important issues on the table by visiting the CUPW website at http://www.cupw.ca/.
Thanks very much,
Your CUPE 3906 Executive Committee

Update Regarding Potential Disruptions to Mail Delivery

Mary Ellen CampbellUncategorized

Dear Members,
As you may be aware, Canada Post has been threatening to lock out its workers (represented by CUPW).
While negotiations continue and a lock-out (or strike) has been put off for a thirty-day “cooling off” period, postal workers could be forced out in several weeks.
Predictably, a lock-out will affect mailing times and delivery (including delivery of benefits cheques from our benefits companies).  Accordingly, members may want to consider submitting benefits claims as soon as possible to try to avoid delays.
Finally, please keep up-to-date on the Canada Post contract negotiations and the important issues on the table by visiting the CUPW website at http://www.cupw.ca/.
Thanks very much,
Your CUPE 3906 Executive Committee

Fire on Campus

Mary Ellen CampbellUncategorized

Dear Members,

We have been apprised that there has been a fire on campus.

The fire is now contained.  Power in several buildings has been shut off, and members in affected buildings may leave campus.

Please monitor the McMaster Daily News for updates (including updates on potential evening class closures):

Fire at ET Clarke Centre

 

Changes to Unit 2 (Sessionals) Professional Development Fund

Brad WalchukNews, Unit 2

On June 29th an SGMM was held in order to discuss and update the Professional Development Fund (PDF) for Unit 2. We had a productive discussion and my proposal was accepted with a few important amendments. Only Unit 2 members were eligible to vote at this meeting. Below is a summary of key results from the meeting:

  1. The PDF will now have 3 budget lines. They are (i) technology; (ii) conferences and certifications; (iii) books.
  1. Each Unit 2 member is eligible for $200 in any combination of the budget lines (per 3 credit hour course taught). Calculations for Music Faculty eligibility will remain the same.
  1. The maximum total amount that can be claimed in any academic year is now $1000 (down from $1200).
  1. Eligible technological expenses will include items that are expenses directly associated with teaching responsibilities, including equipment such as electronic hardware and software. However, laptop computers, desktop computers, tablets, and large screens will continue to remain ineligible in order to keep the fund sustainable.
  1. Styllus pens, clickers, and specialized graphics tablets (e.g. for mathematics) are now eligible items.
  1. There will be an official appeals process created for rejected applications. The appeals process will be conducted entirely via email in order to reduce wait times. The Union reserves the right to decline claims and appeals based on the guidelines outlined in the June 29th SGMM and based on the availability of funds.
  1. In sum, the PDF remains almost the same but with the inclusion of a small number of technological items.

Please be patient as we update our website, application forms, and ineligible items list according to the results of the meeting. We recognize that some members may have made purchases before the results of this meeting, and so operated under the guidelines of the previous format. We will accept and process those applications this semester as we recognize it is a transition period for the PDF.  Please note that if you would like to resubmit an application for an application that was declined in the Fall 2015 or Winter 2016 term, you must notify the union in writing by contacting benefits@cupe3906.org and/or administrator@cupe3906.org.  We only reconsider declined claims from the Fall 2015 and Winter 2016 by request and as an exceptional basis due to the recent changes to the fund.  The Union reserves the right to decline claims and appeals based on the guidelines outlined at the outlined in the June 29th SGMM and based on the availability of funds.

 

CUPE 3906 is Hiring Two Positions

Brad WalchukUncategorized

We are hiring a temporary administative co-ordinator and a temporary bargaining mobilizer.

The jobs can be found on-line:

https://charityvillage.com/jobs/search-results/job-detail.aspx?id=341711&l=2

https://charityvillage.com/jobs/search-results/job-detail.aspx?id=341715&l=2

If you have any questions, please contact chiefsteward_tas@cupe3906.org