Andrea Calver, Engagement and Campaigns Coordinator and OCUFA associates, at Queen’s Park Rally.
Credit: Bob Hanke

An important Rally for Decent Work took place October 1 at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

This rally drew attention to the need for more fairness for contract faculty and to support all workers pushing  back against the trend towards precarious jobs.

The small contingent of York faculty in attendance underscored the need for a Joint CUPE-YUFA Task Force on Precarious Academic Labour at York.

The Ontario Federation of Labour is also promoting a lobby day on October 5. The OFL is looking for a strong delegation representing equity seeking groups. Please RSVP to Judy Chow at jchow@ofl.ca, with a CC to lobby co-ordinator Lucas Costello lcostello@ofl.ca as soon as possible. Participants will arrive the day before on October 4 for a 2:30 p.m. training session and social afterwards, with a full day of lobbying on October 5.

Other pictures from the 3903 presence at Saturday’s rally:

This is a membership update from the union-side of the CUPE 3903/York Employment Equity Committee (EEC). While the pace of implementing some of the new EE-specific language won in the strike for the 2014/17 collective agreements (CA) has been a bit slow, as has negotiating a second EE plan, we wanted to give a report on where we are at in our efforts. Here are some highlights:

>> Self-ID forms are coming out again soon by email. But don’t wait until then – fill out Self-ID form and send it to boodram@yorku.ca (Annette Boodram is the York U EE Officer). Even if you choose not to Self-ID, it is really important to be able to count it as sent.

>> Consultations with members on the addition of LGBTQ self-ID categories led to an improved form for York employees as a whole.

There are a host of technical issues that have a sloth-like resolution pace for getting this data entered and counted. We seem to be seeing them resolved.

>> Our negotiations with the Employer on the “plan for the inclusion” (in article 5.03.1) of LGBTQ-identified members as EE groups in the CA and EE Plan, are being done in tandem with those of “the application of intersectionality data” (new to 5.03 in 14/17).

For example, we are on the cusp of having the first Self-ID Data report with the original 4 EE groups plus the LGBTQ ones as well. This report will not only give us our first picture of LGBTQ inclusion in our bargaining units; it will also enhance existing intersectionality data.

To give you a sense of the importance of this, in the 2014/15 year there was a 67% return rate of Self-ID forms for U2 (highest ever – please keep it up!). A snapshot of that data shows:

— 49% women
— 19% racialized people
— 8% racialized women

This quantitative data helps us make equity changes, in the Plan and in bargaining. EE plans are supposed to substantively address under-representation. So, we continue to push for incorporating the available GTA comparison data in the reporting as well.

We also brought forward to the Employer the YUFA gains in the last round of bargaining, which incorporate some intersectional orientation to hiring. We have asked them how they see such considerations applying to 3903 in the future (as per what 3903 tabled in bargaining for the 14/17 round but was not agreed to). We await a response!

>> Disability Accommodation processes and timelines are an ongoing issue. We think we’re in the final stages of York developing a clear who-must-do-what flow chart.

As usual, it will take bargaining to make any more meaningful gains in EE initiatives. We are laying some good groundwork to help with that.

Any questions, let us know. Drop by the office or drop the Equity Officer, Sheila Wilmot, an email at cupe3903.equity.officer@gmail.com.

Nominations are open to fill two very important committees: the ad hoc committee to review donations policy, and the Ways and Means Committee. Details for both committees are below. To nominate yourself, please email cupe3903vpu1@gmail.com by 5pm on October 23. Positions will be filled at the October 24 General Membership Meeting.

Ways and Means Committee

This committee meets as often as is required to assess applications to the Ways and Means Fund and to disburse funds. Three members are elected for a one-year term.

Honorarium: $1000 per member per year.

Ad hoc committee to review the donations policy

At the April GMM, the membership voted to strike an ad hoc committee to review the CUPE 3903 Donations Policy. We need three members to review these policies and produce recommendations to the membership.

The members of CUPE 3903 need to have a say in how we will collectively tackle York’s new funding model. In order to try to accommodate as many members as possible, we encourage all members to fill out this Doodle poll.

Please be advised that members can access funds for childcare during GMMs and SGMMs. We also provide food and tokens.

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.

Over the course of late July, August, and now September, we met with the employer on several occasions. Nothing was accomplished.

To clarify, and repeat, the employer did not acknowledge our concerns and priorities regarding Roles and Responsibilities. While there has been ongoing discussion regarding benefits nothing has been officially agreed upon or signed.  The primary roadblock in our negotiations has been the Employers’ position that part-time librarians are casual employees whose professionalism and service to the academic community and library should not be contractually acknowledged.  Offers from the Employer, thus far, have not approached, on any level, equivalent agreements for GAs, TAs, and contract faculty.  Furthermore, it has become apparent that even those Articles which have been signed and agreed upon are now up to ‘interpretation’ at the Employer’s discretion.

Consequently, we have moved to a mediation process.  A mediator will be chosen by agreement between the legal counsels of CUPE 3903 and the Employer.  The terms of the process will be defined over the next few weeks.

All scheduled bargaining meetings have been cancelled.

With mediation, we are hopeful, we will be able to express our concerns and present materials which will lead ultimately to a fair and progressive contract.

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

Nominate yourself for TFAC Co-Chair!

The nomination period for the executive position of Trans Feminist Action Caucus (TFAC) co-chair is currently open due to the resignation of one the TFAC co-chairs, Donya Ziaee. The nomination period will remain open until 5pm October 7, 2016. TFAC members of any unit are eligible for this position. All women, trans, gender queer and gender variant members of the local are automatically members of the TFAC whether or not you have ever attended a meeting. Please see below for a full description of the position’s responsibilities.

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.

To nominate yourself, or to ask questions about the position, please email the election officer, Megan Hillman, at mhillman@yorku.ca. Nominees are welcome to submit a 300 word statement regarding their interest in the position. These statements will be accepted until 5pm, October 7, 2016. Nominee statements will be posted on the CUPE 3903 website once the campaign period begins (October 8-October 16 2016). The voting period will be opened at the TFAC meeting on October 17, 2016 and will continue until October 20, 2016. Only TFAC members may participate in this election.

TFAC Co-Chair Responsibilities

• Organize and advertise TFAC meetings
• In the absence of volunteers, chair TFAC meetings
• Oversee Caucus list serve; 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.
• 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).

In the September 26 Newsletter, members were asked to check whether they had been paid. Whether you were paid or not, you should fill out this two-question survey on September pay to help us understand the scope of the problem.

The information we have received from Faculty Relations is that members who signed their contracts after September 10 will receive their pay on September 30. It is not clear whether this second pay cycle applies to those who signed their contract well before this date.

Why this information was not communicated earlier, we do not know. While every worker should be able to know when to expect their pay, the September pay is especially crucial to many members who have no or little income over the summer.

The employer has let the union know that the CSSP Guarantee payments, which were supposed to be received by members by the mutually-agreed-upon-but-not-in-the-CA date of our September pay (the 28th), will not be released to members until the October pay cycle (October 25th). Once the payments are received the local would like to know whether members think the amounts they have been paid are correct, so we can go to battle on this front if necessary.

The employer, in the guise of Rob Lawson, claims to have emailed “all eligible contract faculty members” which by their count are 26 Unit 2 members. 23 of those members have responded to Rob Lawson’s email and will be receiving the payment. Three members have been emailed but have not responded and won’t receive the payment unless they do. CUPE 3903’s Chairperson has asked Rob Lawson to re-contact these three members, or to let the local know who they are so that we can contact them.

If you think you should qualify for this program please check your email to see if you are one of the three who has not responded. If you are not and you still think you qualify please email Rob Lawson (rlawson@yorku.ca) and let him know that you’d like your case reviewed. If you’d like to vent your frustration about the lateness of the payment, or anything else at all, please feel free to email Rob.

Poll clerks are needed to staff polling stations during the GO and VPU3 by-elections on September 28-30 and October 3-5.

Poll clerks are paid $15 per hour and may work multiple shifts. 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.

As you know, the job of poll clerks is to check the ID of members before they vote, distribute ballots to members, and monitor the ballot box during voting. Each day, polls will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Shifts are usually 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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 date(s) and time(s) that you can work, your cell phone number, whether you have any experience and can bring a laptop.

General Membership Meeting
Wednesday, September 28
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Accolade East 004

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Tentative Agenda:

1. Roll call of officers (5 mins)
2. Reading of the Equality Statement (3 mins)
3. Reading of the Mississauga Land Acknowledgement (2 mins)
4. Approval of Agenda (5 mins)
5. Reading and Approval of minutes (15 mins)
6. Notices (5 mins)
   1. Donation to “CHILE: SEPTEMBER 11TH, 1973– Black Bird Liberation Cinema Film Screenings” (Amount to be determined by the membership)
7. Anti-o training / political education
8. Treasurer’s Report
9. Nominations, Elections or Installations
   1. Committee elections
   2. Conference delegate elections
   3. Electing the CUPE 3903 Delegate on the Regenesis Housing Committee
10. Unfinished Business
    1. Donation to “York Graduate Conference in Philosophy: Memory & Social Cognition” ($200)
    2. Donation to “International Campaign Against the War on the People of India (Toronto)” ($500)
    3. Donation to “Vision(s) of Politics: The Thought of Sheldon Wolin Conference” ($240)
    4. Donation to “The Grassy Narrows River Run 2016” ($2000)
    5. Donation to the “2nd Tamil Studies Symposium” at York ($1500)
    6. Donation to “the South Asia Research group (SARG) at York Centre for Asian Research for the event “Caste in the Diaspora: Oral Histories of South Asians in Canada” ($1000)
11. Matters Arising
    1. Motion to destroy the ballots from the April GMM
    2. Donation to Citizen film project ($1000)
    3. Donation to OPIRG at U of T Disorientation 2016
    4. Donation to Justice for Migrant Workers’ Long March
    5. Donation to Regenesis York affordable housing project ($1000)
    6. Donation to 15 Years of War in Afghanistan ($500)
    7. Endorsement for 15 Years of War in Afghanistan
    8. Endorsement for Justice for Migrant Workers Long March
    9. Endorsement for The Real Food Real Jobs Coalition
12. New Business
13. Reports of committees and delegates
    1. Approval of Communications Committee budget
    2. Stewards’ Council
    3. TFAC
    4. Strike Hardship Fund Report
14. Executive Reports
15. Good of the Union
16. 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.