Our General Memberhsip Meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 29th. Food will be served at 5pm and there will be a draw for prizes. The meeting will begin at 5:30pm.
Location: Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning, room 2232.
Agenda items include:
Please Note: Childcare is reimbursed upon request.
This invitation is from Senior Management for All Faculty and Staff. Please see the poster:
CUPE 3906 would like to respond to the Oak Creek, Wisconsin
shooting at a Sikh gurdwara where on August 5, 2012 a white supremacist with
known ties to the neo-Nazi movement shot and killed six
people and injured several others. While the immediate target of this act was
the Sikh community, it is clear that this act targeted and/or has impacted
people of colour in general and especially South Asian, Muslim and Arab
communities.
Violence can show itself in many different forms from gun
violence in our communities to the ongoing wars around the world. What concerns
us here is racism: the racism of this specific attacker and the wide-spread
racism that is a fact of society on both sides of the border. With this statement
we wish to show our support to the Sikh community of Oak Creek and to all
communities who have been impacted by this event. We especially wish to show
our support to our colleagues and fellow union members as well as other members
of the McMaster and GTA/Hamilton communities who are impacted by this attack
and/or by everyday racism. We wish to publically re-affirm the old union
principle that an injury to one is an injury to all at a time when many of us
may be feeling fear, isolation and anger.
Oak Creek, Wisconsin is not an isolated or distant case. On
August 6, the day after Oak Creek, a mosque was burnt to the ground in Joplin,
Illinois, the last in a series of arsons. Close to home, in July a Brampton
Sikh religious elementary school was the target of racist graffiti, one of many
such incidents in our region. With this statement we remind ourselves that
racism is an everyday experience, that it comes in many different forms, and
that we as a union have made a commitment to support each other. We call on the
membership to more consciously work against racism in our union, campus and
beyond.
We invite other members of the campus community, union movement, individuals, and others to
sign on to this statement. If you wish to do so, please contact us at equity@cupe3906.org.
Signed,
The Equity Action Committee
We are pleased to announce two important improvements to Unit 1 Benefits, which will take effect on September 1, 2012. These improvements were made possible by $30,000 in new benefits funding negotiated during collective bargaining in the fall of 2012.
A Health Spending Account will replace the Vision Care Benefit. The entitlement will remain $250/two years. The Health Spending Account will enable members to claim a wide range of medical, dental and pharmaceutical expenses — as well as any vision-related expenses such as glasses, contacts and eye exams. A list of eligible expenses will be provided on our website in September.
Unit 1 members who pay for UHIP will also see their yearly UHIP Rebate increased to $150 from $100.
Unit 1 Members will still have access to the Child Care Benefit($100/year) and the Hardship Fund (up to $500/year except in exceptional circumstances).
Unit 1 Members with contracts totaling 130 hours or more in a given academic year will continue to have access to the CUPE 3906 dental plan.
Who is eligible for Unit 1 Benefits?
The Health Spending Account, UHIP Rebate Fund, Child Care Benefit and Hardship Fund are open to ALL Unit 1 members. You are a Unit 1 member if you are currently working as a TA or RA in lieu at McMaster OR you have worked as a TA or RA in lieu at McMaster in one of the last two terms. The dental plan is open to TAs or RAs in lieu with contracts totaling 130 hours or more in a given academic year (except undergrad TAs).
What sorts of expenses does the Health Spending Account Cover?
The Health Spending Account is meant to help members with the cost of medical, dental and pharmaceutical costs that are not adequately covered by OHIP, UHIP or the GSA plan. Eligible expenses included, but are not limited to: prescription drugs, glasses, contact lenses, eye exams, dental procedures such as crowns or bridges, casts, crutches, etc. Not sure if an expense will qualify? Email: benefits@cupe3906.org.
Will I be able to use the Health Spending Account for the vision-related expenses I used to be able to claim with Vision Care?
Yes. Glasses, contact lenses, eye exams and any other vision-related expense formerly covered by the Vision Care Benefit can now be claimed using the Health Spending Account.
How were these changes made?
The changes to Unit 1 Members (TAs and RAs in lieu) are the result of a motion made at the July 25 GMM. Members were presented with a three packages of recommended changes put together by the Benefits Committee. The recommended changes were based on feedback provided at benefits consultations and in the benefits survey. After a discussion of each package, a motion to adopt the first package of changes was made and carried.
Why did we decide to spend the new $30,000 on benefits?
Under the terms of the Unit 1 collective agreement, the new funds must be used for Unit 1 benefits. We would be in violation of the collective agreement if we used the money for any other purpose.
Why are we making improvements to our benefits at a time when budgets are being reduced across the public sector? Shouldn’t we be tightening our belts instead?
Under the terms of the Unit 1 collective agreement, the new funds must be used for Unit 1 benefits. The Employer does not save any money if we refuse to use these funds for benefits. Moreover, these new funds represent the first increase to Unit 1 benefits in three years. Unit 1 members are also in the midst of a two year wage freeze.
I have no use for extra health coverage, child care or the UHIP rebate. Can I opt out of these benefits?
Since the above named benefits are provided at no cost to members (claims are paid out with money from the Unit 1 Benefits Fund, which is in turn 100% funded by the Employer), there is no way to opt out of these benefits. To put it another way, you cannot opt out of a benefit that you do not pay into. Members with alternate coverage may opt out of the dental plan, which is a traditional premium-based plan that members do contribute to.
The final versions of our new collective agreements for both TA’s and Postdoctoral Fellows have been posted to this website. These new documents contain important changes and updates to many of the entitlements won in Collective Bargaining. Please take few minutes to familiarize yourself with the appropriate document. As usual, the the digital form of our Collective Agreements will remain available on-line, while hard copies can be obtained from the Local office. If you have any questions about these new agreements, please feel free to contact our office.
(To access these new documents, scroll over the “About” tab and click on “Collective Agreements”)
May 14 – May 18
Mobilizing Mondays – Week Seven
One section of the Ontario budget bill will wipe out public services as we know them. We must mobilize immediately to get Schedule 28 removed!
This section, called the Government Services and Service Providers Act, 2012, opens the door for government to privatize any public service. This would be done behind closed doors, without public accountability and could spell the end of truly public schools and hospitals.
One-minute action –The Act has been overlooked in debate. We must make sure MPPs know why it must be removed from the budget bill.
Visit budget.messageyourmpp.ca to automatically send an email to your MPP. (And forward the link to your friends!)
There is an important new message this week!
Five-minute action – Media need to be told about this dangerous privatization act. Send a letter to the editors of newspapers in your area. The more people who send letters, the more likely editors and reporters are to take notice. Email csaunders@cupe.ca to let us know where you’ve sent letters.
Twenty-minute action – Call a radio or television phone-in show. Tell them you’re concerned that the Government Services and Service Providers Act, 2012, will turn public services into a crate of Ornges! Ask them to make it the theme of a phone-in show (and email csaunders@cupe.ca when you do, so that we can get more information to the station).
Need more information about the budget? Visit cupe.on.ca/budget
Unit 1 members with contracts of 130 hours or more during the 2009-2010 academic year are eligible for the dental plan. This entitlement continues until the end of August even if you do not have an appointment in the summer terms. However, if you are no longer receiving a paycheque during the summer months, your premiums will not be paid and your coverage will lapse. Members in this situation who wish to remain on the plan are advised to pay their portion of the premium by submitting post-dated cheques in the required amount to graduate studies. The Unit 1 rates are as follows: $7.04/month (Single coverage) & $62.91/month (Family coverage).
If you have any questions or concerns about dental eligibility during the summer months, please give us a call at 905-525-9140 ext. 24003 or drop by the union office in the basement of Wentworth Hall. More information about benefits can also be found on our new website: www.cupe3906.org.
As announced at our last GMM, the winners of the first CUPE Local 3906 TA Award have been selected. Congratulations to everyone who was nominated as this is an indication of excellence in itself.
The winners of this year’s award are:
Bahram Marami Dizaji from Engineering
Stephen Gagne from DeGroote
Jocelyn Sakal Froese from Humanities
Congratulations to each of you!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate their TA or RA and be sure to watch for the awards next academic year.
Mobilizing Mondays – Week Six
With about two weeks until the final budget vote, this is one of our last chances to get changes made to protect the vital public services that support our communities.
Over the last week, voters in France, Greece and the United Kingdom soundly rejected their governments’ austerity programs. We too can reject the cuts and build our province by insisting that our MPPs vote for growth, not cuts.
Every week, we will send you three simple actions you can take to help protect public services and get Ontario the budget it deserves. Pick one or if you can, please do all three, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
One-minute action – The last week has seen austerity governments fall across Europe. More are expected to fall this week as voters realize the pain isn’t coming with any gain. Visit budget.messageyourmpp.ca to tell your MPP that you are one of the large majority who want good public services, not dangerous cuts. (And follow budget news at cupe.on.ca/budget!)
You can send a new message every week!
Five-minute action – Make an appointment to see your MPP and call Maureen Giuliani at CUPE Ontario (905-739-9739). She can assist you with speaking notes and meeting preparation. Check out the Lobby Kit at http://cupe.on.ca/d1805/budget-2012-lobby-kit
Twenty-minute action – Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. You can use the text at messageyourmpp.ca as a guide, but also highlight effects the cuts will have on your family or your community. In communities that have lost manufacturing jobs, public services provide most of the good jobs and are the backbone of the local economy. Highlight the services that allow you to go to work, such as child care and long-term care, or that allow people to live with dignity. Or focus on school or hospital closures if those are expected in your community. Pick one thing to make the letter personal. If you need help, email Craig Saunders in CUPE communications at csaunders@cupe.ca
Need more information about the budget? Visit cupe.on.ca/budget
Mobilizing Mondays – Week Five
Last week, the Ontario Liberals swung a deal that allowed the budget to pass a key vote.
One important change introduced a new 2% surtax for people making more than $500,000 a year. That’s something almost every Ontarian agreed is an important step in preserving the vital public services on which our communities rely.
But the government said it will not use the new revenue to avoid cuts. What they’ve left us with is a budget that increases taxes, but at the same time kills jobs, cuts public services and hurts communities.
The good news is that the budget is not a done deal. There is still time for us to win amendments that will preserve public services. We all need to tell our MPPs the budget must change.
Every week, we will send you three simple actions you can take to help protect public services and get Ontario the budget it deserves. If you can, please do all three, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
One-minute action –Ontarians do not agree with the government’s budget cuts, and Liberal voters are some of the most unhappy. Visit budget.messageyourmpp.ca to let your MPP know that you are one of the large majority who want good public services. (And check out the poll results at cupe.on.ca/budget!)
You can send a new message every week!
Five-minute action – Make an appointment to see your MPP and call Maureen Giuliani at CUPE Ontario (905-739-9739). She can assist you with speaking notes and meeting preparation.
Check out the Lobby Kit at http://cupe.on.ca/d1805/budget-2012-lobby-kit
Twenty-minute action – Fax Dwight Duncan. Follow this link to a template fax that you can send to the finance minister. But don’t just send yours, get your co-workers to fill in their information and send 10, 20, 100 or more!
Need more information about the budget? Visit cupe.on.ca/budget
