The nomination period for the Grievance Officer by-election ended on Tuesday November 7 at 5 pm. As the position is contested, the campaigning period has begun. Voting will open at the November 21 General Membership Meeting and continue for five days.

Keele Campus Polling Station:
Vari Hall link (between Vari Hall and Central Square), from 9 am to 5 pm.

Glendon Campus Polling Station:
Outside the Cafeteria (across from York Hall, Room 170), from 11 am to 3 pm.

Candidate statements are below.

Christopher Luszczek

I have been a CUPE3903 member for nearly 10 years, beginning as a Unit 1 member in 2008, and as a Unit 2 member since 2016. During this time I have faced many of the employment frustrations common to our membership’s multiple Units and through these struggles I have gained a solid knowledge of our Unit 1 and Unit 2 collective agreements. My own experiences have given me a first-hand understanding of the grievance process, including mediation, and have allowed me to develop positive working relationships with our excellent staff. As an informal Biology steward, over the years I have made myself helpful and available to both fellow graduate students and Unit 2 coworkers by offering guidance and knowledge whenever they have inevitably found themselves at odds with the employer.

I have been particularly active in my home faculty of science in trying to encourage our members to be informed, active and voting participants in our Union, however, I have also been fortunate to teach in multiple departments in three faculties across the university and as such I have had the privilege to see and better understand the challenges faced by our members across disciplines.

Over the past year I have worked hard to become more actively involved in the local by taking on work as a Communications Committee Member, Distribution Committee Member, CUPE Toronto District Council Representative, and as Moderator of both the Stewards’ Council Listserv and Unit 2 Listserv.

As a past Unit 1 member and a recent, low seniority convert to Unit 2, I have a deep appreciation for the uncertain and precarious work future faced by our membership and a vision for the type of contract that will help provide members with security over a long teaching career at York University. I have been deeply concerned by the recent decimation of Unit 3 by the new fellowship model, and do not want to see Unit 1 face a similar fate. If elected Grievance Officer, I see it as my mission and responsibility, first and foremost to work with the Bargaining Team to fight for a better contract in this bargaining round. I will also commit to providing daily support to the members of all units in their interactions with the employer. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

Sharon Davidson

I have been an engaged member of our local, participating at general membership meetings, voting in elections, serving on a number of committees including Labour-Management, Ways and Means, Professional Development, Teaching Development, and Research Leave, as well as serving on past CUPE3903 Executives and Bargaining Teams. Through this work, I have gained extensive knowledge of the Unit1, Unit 2 and Unit 3 Collective Agreements. I also bring a knowledge of bargaining dynamics from serving previously on the BT. I believe this experience and knowledge will be useful in getting the best possible agreements for CUPE 3903 members.

I am dedicated to defending our hard-fought-for collective agreement rights both by advancing grievances and through bargaining. My activism in the local has given me diverse opportunities to meet with members and understand the kinds of challenges we collectively face.

I am committed to working with the current BT in advancing the key issues identified by members for this round of bargaining, which include:

• enhanced funding for graduate students and equalization of tuition to domestic rates for international graduate students
• restoring Unit 3 GA positions and access to union benefits and funds
• improving automatic job security programs for Unit 2, including the restoration of the SRC program, enhancing CSSP guarantees, and no concessions with the Conversion and LSTA programs.
• earmarking 50% of all tenure-stream appointments at the Markham campus for CUPE 3903 Unit 2 members
• expanding Equity provisions within all three units’ CAs.

Given the opportunity to serve as Grievance Officer and a representative on the U2 BT, I will dedicate myself to addressing these important issues.