CUPE 3906

CUPE Local 3906 is proud to announce the winner of our 2014 Mike Skinner Activist Award: Dr. Brock Dubbels.  Brock is a post-doctoral fellow (Unit 3 member) working in the Department of Computing and Software.

Brock won the award for his role in launching Hamilton’s first ever “CoderDojo”.  CoderDojo is a movement orientated around running free not-for-profit coding clubs and regular sessions for young people.  At a CoderDojo, young people learn how to code, develop websites, apps, programs, games and more. Dojos are set up, run by and taught by volunteers, and also puts a strong emphasis on open source and free software.  For more information, click here.

The Mike Skinner Activist Award is presented annually to a CUPE 3906 member who plays an active role in improving the local community in a variety of ways, including fighting for social justice issues, environmental protection, and community organizing, education and/or solidarity.   It is named after Mike Skinner, a former business agent for CUPE 3906 and longtime social activist in the Hamilton community.

Congratulations Brock!!!!

Graduate Unit 1 (TA and RAs in lieu) members: CLICK HERE for six things you need to know about the upcoming payroll changes and your TA/RA (in lieu)!  

Did you know that the upcoming payroll changes will change how you receive your TA/RA (in lieu) pay and may change how you pay your dental coverage premiums?

Make sure to check out our “Six things you need to know…” flyer posted above, and visit the section of our website dedicated to TAs and the MOSAIC payroll changes: http://cupe3906.org/dental2014  The site has specific and useful information that could help you avoid unpleasant surprises (such as disruptions to your dental coverage) as the academic year progresses.

Also, don’t forget about the change of coverage deadlines (i.e., OPT OUT and FAMILY ENROLLMENT deadlines) for your dental benefits!  Forms must be in by September 8th, 2014, for your change of status to take effect retroactive to September 1st, 2014, or by September 30th, 2014 to have the changes take effect for October 1st, 2014.  For forms and information about OPTING OUT of or ENROLLING FAMILY MEMBERS into CUPE dental coverage, please CLICK HERE.

*NEW!* Click here for the School of Graduate Studies’ Payroll schedule for Graduate TAs and RAs (in lieu).

*NEW!* Click here for the School of Graduate Studies’ Scholarship Payment schedule for Graduate Students.

And don’t forget to check out our new TA/RA (in lieu) Hours of Work Tracking form by clicking here!

What’s not to love about free chocolate bars in the middle of a work day? What bars? Snickers, Mars, Kit Kat and other popular ones

When: Wednesday August 6th, from 10 am-1 pm

Where: Your building of course! We know you will be working (or at least trying to work 😉 ) at that timeWe will start at 10 am and move from building to building. Please join the Facebook event to get real-time updates on when we will be at your buildinghttps://www.facebook.com/events/282950981878053/?notif_t=plan_user_joinedSee you all on Wednesday!Equity Action Committee, CUPE 3906

As you may know, McMaster University is phasing in a new payroll system, MOSAIC, as part of a broader “human capital” management system called “PeopleSoft.”

The separation of employment pay (e.g., TA and RA pay) from academic funding (e.g., scholarships, loans, etc.) is one of the most significant impacts of this change for Graduate Students.  The School of Graduate Studies will no longer collect eligible Unit 1 (TA and RA in lieu) member dental premium deductions from academic funding.

For the most recent updates on the dental benefits coverage and premium changes for 2014-2015, please click here.

Please see our most recent communique regarding these changes here.

We will continue to make information available to our members regarding these changes and their impact on dental benefit premium deductions as information arises.

Retirement security is a growing, Canada-wide problem. Over 11 million Canadian workers are without workplace pension plans. Study after study shows that Canadian workers can’t afford to save enough for retirement. Unless things change, baby boomers and future generations are facing serious declines in living standards upon retirement.

All Canadians deserve to retire with dignity. A gradual and modest expansion of the Canada Pension Plan is the best way to ensure retirement security for Canadians.

We are at a critical moment in the campaign to increase CPP benefits. Polling shows that most Canadians support CPP expansion.

Please join us and tell Canada’s Finance Ministers to:

1) Support the Canadian Labour Congress’s proposal to double Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits to ensure a better minimum pension for all Canadians. The CPP replacement rate would double from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, which would push maximum payments to $24,000 per year and average payments to $12,600 per year.

2) Ask the federal government not to stand in the way of the provisions of the Canada Pension Plan legislation, which states that 2/3 of the provinces representing 2/3 of the Canadian population can approve amendments to the plan.

3) Refuse any delay or limits on when improvements will come into effect or who will have access to improved CPP.

Please refer to this link for more information.

From Students to Workers: A Participatory Forum on Empowering our Communities

VISIT THE EVENT SITE BY CLICKING HERE!

In this election, workers have been threatened with 100,00 job losses, so-called “right-to-work” laws, and massive cuts to social spending. But why? Join us for a panel and break-out discussion on the positive role that the unity of working people can play in our workplaces and in our communities. As students and workers, let’s talk about how we can empower our communities and fight for the benefit of people everywhere.

SPEAKERS:

PAM FRACHE, Activist with the Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage and Contract Instructor at Brock University’s Centre for Labour Studies
DAVID GOUTOR, Assistant Professor in the Department of Labour Studies, McMaster University
DENISE MARTINS, Vice President (Young Workers), Ontario Federation of Labour

THURSDAY, JUNE 5th
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
AN Bourns Science Building (ABB), Room 273
Food and refreshments will be provided.

Organized by CUPE 3906