Nominations Open for CUPE 3903 TFAC Co-Chairs (2017-2018)

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The TFAC logo, a graphic image of a black cat.

The TFAC logo, a graphic image of a black cat.

The nomination period for the executive position of TFAC co-chair opens Monday February 27 and ends March 12 at 5 pm. Members of any unit, who are TFAC members, are eligible for these two positions. The TFAC co-chairs also sit on the executive committee of CUPE 3903. Please see below for a full description of the position responsibilities. To nominate yourself or ask questions, please email elections officer Annelies Cooper at annelies.cooper@gmail.com. Nominees are welcome to submit a 300 word statement on their interest in the position to the elections officer on or before March 12 at 5 pm. Nominee statements will be posted on the website during the campaign period to familiarize members with the nominees.

If the position is contested, a campaign period will run from March 13 to March 19. Voting will take place March 20 – March 22 at the union office, Atkinson 143, at York University Keele Campus from 10 am – 5 pm.

What is TFAC?

All women, trans, gender queer and gender variant members of the local are automatically members of the Trans Feminist Action Caucus whether or not you have ever attended a meeting. All TFAC members are eligible to nominate themselves for the position of co-chair. Co-Chairs are elected by TFAC members. The Caucus was formed under the Bylaws of Local 3903, which states that the members of any group discriminated against on the grounds enumerated in the Ontario Human Rights Code have the right to form exclusionary caucuses within the local (see Article 11, CUPE 3903 Bylaws). CUPE 3903 is strongly committed to equity within our union. We welcome and strongly encourage involvement of persons with one or more disabilities, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirited, queer and trans persons, persons from racialized groups, and Aboriginal persons.

Position Description

 a) Collective Responsibilities (All Executive committee members)

  • Attend executive committee (EC) meetings.
  • Call, organize and attend General Membership Meetings (GMMs) and provide monthly reports to the general membership.
  • Participate in Fall orientation sessions and familiarize new members with TFAC
  • Become familiar with the constitution and by-laws of the local, the policy manual, the Collective Agreements (CA) of all units, the member’s manual, Bourinot’s Rules, the constitution of CUPE National and the CA of 1281.
  • Pull together proposed annual budget of the local for presentation and the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
  • Chair meetings of the executive and the local.
  • Subscribe to lists of the local including NEWS and Stewards Council.
  • All EC members should participate in anti-oppression training.

b) TFAC co-Chair Responsibilities

  • Oversee Caucus list serve; approve over-sized messages; add members to list
  • Respond to list-serve postings/questions where appropriate
  • Conduct conference registration and payment for members attending conferences
  • Record minutes at TFAC meetings and distribute to members for approval at subsequent meeting
  • Organize regular TFAC meetings at an accessible location
  • In the absence of volunteers, chair TFAC meetings
  • Act as a point of contact for local equity groups to advance the work of the Caucus
  • When donations are approved by the Caucus, the co-Chairs are responsible for ensuring that paper work for donations is submitted, and where appropriate, letters are written and mailed
  • Write letters on the request of the Caucus
  • Attend meetings of the Executive Committee and General Membership
  • Provide periodic updates (once per month or less) about the work of the Caucus over the list serve.
  • At the TFAC AGM to be held in February/March each year, propose a budget to the Caucus for discussion and debate
  • Oversee and help with the formulation and carrying out of Caucus projects
  • Ensure that TFAC brochures are available in the union office (this may involve updating brochures over time)

Call for TFAC Poll Clerks

TFAC is also in need of poll clerks to monitor TFAC voting on March 22nd and 23rd. Poll clerks are required to work a 3.5 hour shift and will receive a $15/hr honoraria. The positions are available to members of TFAC on a first come first serve basis. To apply, contact elections officer Annelies Cooper by email at annelies.cooper@gmail.com.