CUPE 3906

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP so we have a better idea of numbers to ensure that there is enough food, and materials, for those in attendance.

We are pleased to announce the 2016-17 CUPE 3906 Executive that was elected by the membership last night.

President- Chandra Kavanagh

Vice President- Angie Perez

Secretary-Treasurer- Richard Mah

Vice President External- Sepideh Ebrahimi

Recording Secretary- Naim Tajvarpour

Chief Steward Unit 1- Graham Baker

Chief Steward Unit 2- Farhad Sadeh

Health and Safety Officer- Raul Sadavarte

Equity Officer- Sarah Wahab

Benefits and Advocacy Officer- Kirk Lougheed

International Officer- Darko Ljubic

Undergraduate Officer- Jennifer Tang

We’d also like to extend a sincere thank you to those who previously served and are not returning, as well as those who put their name forward in last night’s elections.

Congratulations to the amazing winners of the the 2105-16 TA/RA Award.  We present this award annually to one winner in each faculty to recognize teaching and research excellence, which is an integral part of what we do on campus.  We know that students and faculty appreciate the hard work and dedication that all of our members have.  Here are the 2015-16 winners:

Li He (Social Science)

Michael Cino (Engineering)

Philip Carella (Science)

Dhuha Al-Sajee (Health Sciences)

Julie Condor (DeGroote School of Business)

Shelby MacGregor (Humanities)

A quick reminder that our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is being held tonight at 5 p.m. in DSB B-105.  At the meeting, we will be electing all 13 executive positions (to one-year terms), a trustee (to a three-year term), and four delegates to the CUPE Ontario Convention in Toronto, as well as seeking members to join our committees (ie/ benefits committee).  We will also be presenting the TA/RA Award winners (one per faculty). Pizza will be served at 5 p.m. and childcare reimbursement is available upon request.

Conference travel and fees giving you the blues? Fear not, the Unit 2 professional development fund for sessionals can help to offset.

The deadline is April 8th. For more info: http://cupe3906.org/s…/professional-development-fund-unit-2/

In our last round of Post-Doc (Unit 3)collective bargaining, your Union secured annual lump sum bonuses of $400 per member (in addition to yearly increases to the salary floor).  On the April 15th, 2016 payment, all unionized post-docs currently employed will receive a $400 bonus, in addition to your regular pay.  Remember, this bonus was won through collective bargaining, and your Union’s elected post-doc bargaining team will be back at the bargaining table this summer.

*please note, this amount is considered income and subject to regular deductions*

For more information and schedule visit: 

http://cupe3906.org/internationalconference/

Register for FREE: 

http://international-students-workers.eventbrite.ca

This is a publicly fund project to help relief Mental Health issues at the university, it includes several workshops where you can participate:

• COG (Cooperative Outdoor adventure Games): Take a quick break and activate by joining us for a mid-week adventure. You’ll work together to discover the secrets of the McMaster campus on foot and to clear your mind. No experience or skills required, just you and your runners.
  • Running on Wednesdays from 5:30pm until 6:30ish. We meet in the plaza area between Mills and MUSC. Our staff and volunteers will be wearing blue Arrive and Thrive t-shirts.
• WIND (Walk In Nature Days): you can get outside and leave your worries behind, by getting into nature with others in a positive, mutually supportive environment. No experience or skills required, just you and your hiking/walking shoes.
  • Running on Saturday mornings starting at 10:30am and meets in DBAC by the business office (glassed in office by front entrance). The walk goes for about an hour or so and then we provide a pizza lunch.
• Koru class: An evidence-based 4-week program, specifically designed for teaching mindfulness, meditation and stress management touniversity students and young adults. The curriculum consists of mind-body skills, guided meditations and more, aimed at helping you open your mind and manage your stress.
  • A graduate student only Koru class is scheduled to begin Thursday, April 7^th and goes for 4 weeks (time and location will be sent after pre-registration). Register: arriveandthrive@mcmaster.ca
• Pause: is a 1:1 session with a counsellor which allows for individualized assessment and discussion of a student’s use of substances (alcohol, marijuana, or tobacco), reasons for use and motivation to change their use. If the student is ready to make a change, support, suggestions and referrals. An email will to us will start that process, and we hope to see the person at their convenience (yes, we plan to have evening and day time hours – possibly even weekends). Once we receive someone interested in Pause we will be in contact within a week (if not sooner).
  • Contact arriveandthrive@mcmaster.ca
• Exploring Change: Do you have a habit that you are thinking about changing or would like to change? Using a variety of activities and a judgement-free approach, these 4 week groups focussed on partying (substance use), procrastination or perfectionism will help you figure out if you’re ready and how to make a change in your life.
  • Contact arriveandthrive@mcmaster.ca

All of our programming is confidential and in no way connected to either the student record or the health record unless the student requests it to be. For more information email arriveandthrive@mcmaster.ca or check their website:  http://arriveandthrive.ca/

Save the Date

Monday, 11th of April 2016

For more information and schedule visit:  http://wp.me/P5iRLY-2Nq

As you well know international students and workers face many of challenges and injustices in their intersecting roles as students, employees, immigrants and travelers.

You will have the opportunity to hear first hand experiences of the following issues:

• Unjust tuition fees increase

• Unjust access to health care

• Mental health issues

• Political rights

• Immigration accounts

• Money planning

• Successful international student stories

Save the date and get involved in the Hamilton and Mcmaster international community

 For any questions contact: vicepresident@cupe3906.org or politicalaction@cupe3906.org