CUPE 3903 Files Grievance on Tuition Offset Language

A member reads the grievance on tuition offset to Barry Miller, Executive Director of Faculty Relations.

A member reads the grievance on tuition offset to Barry Miller, Executive Director of Faculty Relations.

On Wednesday May 27, CUPE 3903 filed a grievance in relation to the employer’s interpretation of our tuition offset language (Letters of Intent 1 and 6). Our position is that any member who is affected by tuition increases must be compensated with an equivalent increase in funding.

Only 18 members (roughly 12%) affected by the increases have received any additional funding. Amounts of additional funding for those lucky 18 vary between $ 6135.56 (only two members) and $135, for a total of $32,597.29 in additional funding paid out by the employer. We are still awaiting information on what principles guided the “careful review” of funding.

The grievance states:

The Union alleges a violation of the Collective Agreement in that the Employer has failed to provide tuition offset funding to international graduate  student members as required by the Unit 1, Letter of Intent 6 (Tuition Offset)  and Unit 3, Letter of Intent 1 (Tuition Offset).

We demand that the employer remedy this situation immediately by providing written confirmation that our collective agreements were violated and that it will not occur in the future, depositing a penalty in to the Ways and Means Fund, and, most importantly, immediately paying members the full amount they are owed.

Filing a grievance is an important part of the process. However, legal means are not enough. This is a political struggle and we must continue to put pressure on the employer in order to win.

The Labour-Management Committee will meet with the employer on Monday June 1 at 3pm in York Lanes 280N. Members are encouraged to attend in large numbers to show the employer that we will not back down.