The provider for Emergency Out-of-Country Coverage for eligible active employees is changing effective July 1, 2016.

Currently, the Emergency Out-of-Country coverage for those actively employed is provided through Medavie Blue Cross.   Effective July 1, 2016, the new provider will be Sun Life.  

This change is coming about as a result of an RFP marketing to source providers for McMaster University’s benefits programs.  An implementation process to transfer the Emergency Out-of-Country benefit for eligible active faculty and staff from Medavie Blue Cross to Sun Life is underway.  In early June, faculty and staff who are eligible for this benefit will be provided with the details of the Emergency Out-of-Country plan including the policy number and the phone number to call for assistance in an emergency.  Details will also be made available at http://www.workingatmcmaster.ca/.

If you are planning to travel outside of Ontario in later June or early July, be sure to contact your Human Resources Representative if you have any questions.  Claims resulting from medical emergencies that happen on or before June 30, 2016 will be managed by Medavie Blue Cross for the duration of the claim until completion.  Any claims for emergencies that happen on or after July 1, 2016 will be managed by Sun Life.

For more info: http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/worth-mentioning/important-benefit-updates/

CUPE 3906 will be holding our next General Membership Meeting on Tuesday June 28th at noon, in a location TBA.

Pizza will be provided, and we’ll be electing an additional bargaining team member for Unit 1, an alternate bargaining team member for Unit 1, and giving a Unit 3 bargaining update.

We will update the post with the location as soon as we have one confirmed, and hope to see you there

The recent heinous attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, which directly targeted queer and trans Latinx members of the LGBTQ community, has left a lasting effect on LGBTQ people around the world including members of our Hamilton and McMaster communities. In response to this violence, two events have been organized to allow us to come together in solidarity with members of our LGBTQ community and allies, to heal together and to memorialize the victims of this horrific attack.

In an effort to make these events accessible, the following steps have been taken:  wheelchair accessible venues which can be accessed by public transit, multilingual outreach material, ASL interpretation, and active listeners.

Please join us for the following (posters attached):

Event 1: Healing Event

Thursday, June 16
Nourishing Health
328 James St. N.
9:30am-12noon

A free yoga session and healing space is being offered to LGBTQ-identified people in the wake of the tragedy in Orlando, Florida. A counsellor will be on site. The yoga space in wheelchair accessible (the washroom is not).

Event 2: Memorial Event

Thursday, June 16
NGen Youth Centre
24 Main St. W. (across from McNab Terminal)
7pm-9pm

Join us for a memorial event honouring the Latinx LGBTQ people killed on Sunday, June 12th at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The evening will include speakers and performances from local Hamilton artists including Kiena Dior and Rex Emerson Jackson. This event is free and open to all interested in mourning in peace. Please share widely.

Together in peace (Arabic):
دير تو لاف” يرحبوا كل من يريد ان يتذكرالحياة اللتي تركتنا يوم الأحد، ١٢ يونيو، بسبب اعتداء عنيف في “بلس نايت كلب”على مجتمع ل.ج.ب.ت.ك اللاتيني باوريغون، فلوريدا”

Together in peace (Chinese):
6月16日，本周四晚，加入我们一起纪念上周日佛罗里达奥兰多Pulse酒吧6月12日枪击遇难者。周四晚上，我们将一起为遇难者默哀，其他活动包括来自Hamilton的社区名人演讲，现场音乐，表演。让我们携手一起勇敢起来，让这个世界充满爱！

We will be booking a party room at Serve Ping Pong club from 7:30-10:30pm, where you can work on your ping pong game, enjoy some refreshments, and catch up with members of the Unit 1 and Unit 3 bargaining and bargaining support teams.

Come join us at 115 King St. E #105 from 7:30-10:30pm on Friday, June 10th!

We’re pleased to announce that Local 3906 President Chandra Kavanagh was awarded the 2015-16 CUPE Ontario “Sisters in Solidarity” award at last week’s CUPE Ontario annual convention.  Congratulations!!!

We wanted to let you know that we’ll be having a General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, May 18th at noon in TSH B128.

The main item on the agenda will be the ratification of our unit 1 bargaining priorities, something that we didn’t have the opportunity to finish at our last meeting. This item is of considerable importance as it allows you to have a final say on the package that we present to the Employer in June. Members will have the opportunity to review the current proposals and make amendments to them.

We will also be voting on a cost-share motion with CUPE National, which will help to secure additional funding from our national union to help with bargaining outreach and support.

Finally, we have a recently opened position on the Unit 3 (post-doc) bargaining team.  Unit 1 members are able to run for this position.  If you are interested, please contact your union (staff@cupe3906.org) for more information.  We will need a quorum of at least 5 post-docs at this meeting to facilitate an election at the meeting on the 18th.

As always, lunch will be provided.

We hope to see you there.