SGMM on Summer Funding and Mobilization
Tuesday, March 28
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
280A York Lanes

Join us for a Special General Membership Meeting on the topic of summer funding and how we can effectively mobilize around the damage done by the fellowship funding model!

As you may know, the fellowship model has resulted in the loss of almost 700 jobs out of Unit 3. However, it has also shuffled our guaranteed summer funding into the Fall and Winter semesters, leaving members of Unit 1 in dire financial straits for the summer months. Some potential solutions are in the works, but the membership needs to discuss and choose the direction of our actions against this erosion of our collective agreements.

SGMMs can only be called to address specific issues. Some of the ways in which the topic of this meeting can be addressed are:

• Recap on what the fellowship model is and how it affects summer funding.
• Update on what has been done so far.
• Discussion of what should be done in future.

Snacks and tokens provided!

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Please contact Sheila Wilmot at CUPE3903.equity.officer@gmail.com or at 416-736-5154 ext. 3 if you require any of the following: ASL interpretation, reimbursement for childcare/caregiver/attendant care, and/or transportation costs for members who are unable to secure Wheel-Trans, or other requests for accommodation.

Most committees are filled for the year during the Annual General Meeting, which took place Wednesday, March 15. New committee members begin their duties on April 1.

If you would like to volunteer for one or more of the vacant positions, please email Sara at cupe3903vpu1@gmail.com. Except for unit-specific positions, all members of the union can sit on committees.

Committee election results, as well as remaining vacancies and upcoming delegate vacancies for upcoming conventions, are listed below.

Continue reading →

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

Nominations for the two vacancies for Trans Feminist Action Caucus (TFAC) Co-Chair closed on Sunday March 12 at 5 pm. The campaigning period is now open and will continue until voting opens on Monday March 20 and will continue until Wednesday March 22. TFAC polls will be located in the union office (143 Atkinson) from 10am – 4pm. The list of nominees is below. 

Campaign Guidelines

As the election process unfolds, all candidates are required to adhere to the following campaign regulations:

1. All campaigning practices and materials must be consistent with our CUPE Equality Statement.
2. Candidates are not allowed to use the union photocopier or union supplies.
3. The campaigning phase will continue through until the end of voting. Campaigning during the voting period must respect the following regulations:
   1. No posters, flyers or any campaigning activity within 5 metres of polling stations.
   2. Candidates and their representatives are free to go around the university (including with campaign material) to convince members to vote (“pulling the vote”). This activity cannot take place within 5 metres of any polling station. Intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated.
   3. Candidates can appoint scrutineers to each poll to ensure the impartiality of the process, and ensure that all voters are either on the list or submit a ballot within an envelope. Scrutineers must identify themselves to the poll clerks. But neither candidates nor their representatives will be able to use the voter’s lists for targeted vote-pulling once the polls have opened.
   4. Candidates are free to continue putting up posters, posting on social media, and engaging in other forms of campaigning during the voting period, as long as they respect the 5 metre rule.
4. The polling station will be equipped with a printed version of the campaign statements from the CUPE 3903 website.
5. We ask that all members who witness violations of these rules document them as accurately as possible and send the information to the Election Officer. Scrutineers/poll clerks will be briefed on what constitutes a violation. The Elections Officer will then make a presentation on any violations that occurred during the elections at a TFAC Meeting. After the presentation, if members feel that any of the violations were serious enough to warrant further action, it will be up to the membership to pursue.

TFAC Elections Officer:
Annelies Cooper
annelies.cooper@gmail.com

Candidate statements are posted below.

Continue reading →

Annual General Meeting

Wednesday, March 15
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Accolade East (ACE) 007

Tentative Agenda

1. Roll call of officers (5 minutes)
2. Reading of the Equality Statement (3 minutes)
3. Reading of the Mississauga Land Acknowledgement (2 minutes)
4. Matters arising (30 minutes)
5. Annual committee reports (30 minutes)
6. Committee elections (20 minutes)
7. Report from the Trustees (20 minutes)
   1. Presentation
   2. Discussion
8. Executive Committee Elections (10 minutes)
9. Presentation of the 2016-2017 budget (60 minutes)
   1. Presentation
   2. Discussion
10. Adjournment

Please contact Sheila Wilmot at CUPE3903.equity.officer@gmail.com or at 416-736-5154 ext. 3 if you require any of the following: ASL interpretation, reimbursement for childcare/caregiver/attendant care, and/or transportation costs for members who are unable to secure Wheel-Trans, or other requests for accommodation.

Voting for the general elections for the executive committee will open at the Annual General Meeting on March 15. Voting will continue for 5 days after the meeting. There are three contested position: Recording Secretary, Chief Steward Unit 1, and Chief Steward Unit 4. The run-off election for the position of Unit 2 bargaining team will also follow the same timeline.

There will be a polling station at both the Keele and Glendon campuses from 9 am to 5 pm on March 16-17 and 20-22.

Keele Campus Polling Station:
Vari Hall link (between Vari Hall and Central Square)

Glendon Campus Polling Station:
Outside the Cafeteria (across from York Hall, Room 170)

The candidate statements for the contested executive committee positions and the Unit 2 BT run-off can be found below.

Continue reading →

Poll clerks and poll supervisors are needed to staff polling stations during the general elections on March 15-17 and 20-22. These positions are paid $15/hr. Only members of CUPE 3903 may apply. Preference will be given to members with previous poll clerk experience, though all members are encouraged to apply. Poll clerks may work multiple shifts.

Shifts at the Keele Campus polling station are usually from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 5:15 pm. Shifts at the Glendon polling station are usually from 10:45 am to 3:15 pm. There will be one polling station at Keele Campus and one at Glendon campus on the following spots:

Keele Campus Polling Station:
Vari Hall link (between Vari Hall and Central Square)

Glendon Campus Polling Station:
Outside the Cafeteria (across from York Hall, Room 170)

If you are interested in working as a poll clerk, please email eocupe3903@gmail.com. In your email, please indicate:

• the exact shift(s) that you can work,
• your cell phone number,
• whether you have any experience,
• whether you can bring a laptop,
• and the Unit you belong to.

Nominations for the general elections closed on Wednesday March 1 at 5 pm. For contested positions, the campaigning period is now open and will continue until voting opens at the March 15 Annual General Meeting. Voting will continue for five days after the meeting. The list of nominees is below.

Nominations for Unit 3 bargaining team member and BT recording secretary also closed on March 1. As there were no candidates, decisions will have to be made regarding when to re-open nominations.

Chairperson

Graeme Reniers (Unit 1) — acclaimed

Secretary-Treasurer

Sujanthan  Sriskandarajah (Unit 1) — acclaimed

Recording Secretary

Gizem Çakmak (Unit 1)

Dan O’Hara (Unit 1)

Grievance Officer

Kyle Belozerov (Unit 2) — acclaimed

Communications Officer

Maija Duncan (Unit 1) — acclaimed

Vice President Unit 1

Hossein Banitabaei (Unit 1) — acclaimed

Vice President Unit 2

Julian Arend  — acclaimed

Vice President Unit 3

Jill Andrew — acclaimed

Chief Steward Unit 1

Harjot Singh Deol

Karl Gardner

Chief Steward Unit 2

Mike Palamarek — acclaimed

Chief Steward Unit 3

no nomination

Chief Steward Unit 4

nina pinakamaganda

Joanne Wadden

It is time for our annual committee elections!

All committees play a significant role in our local, contributing enormously to the smooth functioning of our union. This ranges from the daily work of reaching out to members, advocating on their behalf in various capacities, adjudicating different funds available to the membership, and connecting the local to the broader labour movement taking place municipally, provincially and federally.

The local would not function without the amazing work that committee members have done and continue to do. Please consider joining a committee or two! The nomination period will end on March 15, 9 am. Please send your nominations, and a brief statement if you wish, to Sara (VP Unit 1) at cupe3903vpu1@gmail.com.

Committee Vacancies:

For a description of each committee, please visit the Committees page.

• Accessibility Committee – 4 vacancies (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Advisory Committee on Race/Ethnic Relations, Discrimination and/or Harassment – 2 vacancies (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• All-University Pension Committee – 1 vacancy (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Archive Committee – 2 vacancies (Honorarium: $750 per year)
• Bilingualism Committee – 2 vacancies (Honorarium: $500 per year)
• Bursaries Committee – 2 vacancies (Honorarium: $400 per year)
• Communications Committee – 4 vacancies (Honorarium: $750 per year)
• CUPE Toronto District Council Representatives – 7 vacancies (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Distribution Committee – 6 vacancies ($50 per diem)
• Employment Equity Committee – 3 vacancies (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Extended Health Benefits Fund Committee – 3 vacancies (Honorarium: $1500 per year)
• Health and Safety Committee – 6 vacancies (hourly wage, marker/grader rate)
• International Graduate Students’ Committee (IGSC) – 2 vacancies (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Labour Management Committee – 4 vacancies 1 from each unit (Units 1-4)** (Honorarium: $750 per year)
• Postings Officers – 2 vacancies (Honorarium: $2,500 per year)
• Research Costs Fund Committee – 2 vacancies (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Research Grants Fund and Travel Costs Fund Committee – 2 vacancies (Unit 2 only) (Honorarium: $500 per year)
• Research Leave Adjudicating Committee – 1 vacancy (Unit 2 only) (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Senate Representative – 1 vacancy (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Senate Alternative Representative – 1 vacancy
• Stewards’ Council Listserv Moderator – 2 vacancies (Honorarium: $500 per year)
• Teaching Development Fund Committee – 2 vacancies (Unit 2 only) (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Toronto and York Region Labour Council Representatives – 12 vacancies (Honorarium: $250 per year)
• Union Trustees Committee – 1 vacancy (Honorarium: $1000 per year)
• Unit 2 Listserv Moderator – 2 vacancies (Unit 2 only) (Honorarium: $500 per year)

**While the bylaws do not yet reflect an honorarium for a Unit 4 LMC representative, such a bylaw change is in the works.

Please note that elections for the Professional Development Fund Committee (PDF), Childcare Committee, and Ways and Means Committee (W&M) takes place annually at the September GMM. As per the new by-laws, the election of the Election Officers will take place at the April GMM. Nominations for these positions are not open.