The nomination period for the vacancies on the Bargaining Team and Executive Committee closed at the end of the nomination period (Nov 17, 2023 12:00 p.m.).

Executive Committee: Secretary-Treasurer – Acclaimed
Congratulations to Niloofar Golkar!

For contested positions, the nomination period will be followed by two weeks of campaigning and Voting (through Simply Voting) will begin at the December 1st GMM and will continue for five days.

Candidate Statements

Alex Wilson:

Hello Fellow 3903ers! I am running for the position of Bargaining Team Member Unit. I am doing a second PhD in Science & Technology Studies at York and I am currently on the Bargaining Mobilization Committee as the Unit 1 Steward for my department. I was involved in the union in many ways during my first PhD in philosophy. I was a picket captain in the ’08-’09 strike, I participated as a political member in the ’15 strike, and I supported the picket lines in the ’18 strike though I was no longer in the union. I was also on the Research Costs Funds committee, so I have experience dealing directly with York’s administration. Obtaining funding for the sciences was easy, but I fought hard for our members in the social sciences and the humanities to receive funding for their projects. As a member of the bargaining team, I will be using this experience on the research cost funds committee, a veteran of three strikes, and as a returning PhD student to fight for the best contract our union can get. Thank you for your consideration. Solidarity!

Ahmed Mohamed:

Dear CUPE 3903 Members,

I’m Ahmed Mohamed, a devoted PhD candidate in Human Resource Management at York University, vying for the Unit 1 Bargaining Team position. Serving as a Teaching Assistant for the past five years, I intimately understand our challenges and am ready to transform this experience into effective representation for us all.

The recent bargaining updates spotlight the 3903 team’s commitment to fair compensation for our intellectual and research work. I pledge to amplify this commitment, advocating vigorously for proposals on fellowship amounts, priority pool language, workload, academic freedom, and intellectual property.

Health benefits are paramount. I aim to enhance coverage for medical devices, hearing aids, and diagnostic tests, advocating for automatic enrollment to ensure swift access to dental, vision, drug, and paramedical services.

Equity is a top priority. I wholeheartedly support proposals for racialized members, championing a $50,000 fund for immediate assistance and tailored accommodations. I propose the establishment of a Joint Workplace Accommodations Committee for ongoing collaboration on policies affecting our diverse membership.

My candidacy is grounded in transparency, inclusivity, and tireless advocacy. I bring a fresh perspective and a fervor for addressing our pressing issues. Let’s fortify our bargaining power and shape a future reflecting the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion within CUPE 3903.

Vote Ahmed Mohamed for a united and empowered Unit 1.

In solidarity,

Ahmed Mohamed

The Executive Committee is calling an Emergency Special General Membership Meeting on Job Security on November 22nd at 1:00 PM.

The Job Stability Joint Committee (JSJC) has been meeting since Fall 2021 with the mandate of developing a new comprehensive job stability program. The 3903 membership has shown good will and patience in trying this approach, but after two years of efforts, including extending the timelines a year beyond our original end date, the Job Stability Joint Committee has not delivered a proposal that is acceptable to the Unit 2 membership.

Now it’s time to address job security at the bargaining table. The Bargaining Team needs to hear from as many members as possible so we can immediately put essential and meaningful job security proposals on the table.

Please register in advance for this meeting

In order to register, you will need to provide your employee number, which will be kept confidential. Your employee number is on your monthly pay stub. If you don’t know your employee number, please click here for instructions.

If you require any of the following: ASL interpretation, reimbursement for childcare/caregiver/attendant care, or other requests for accommodation, please contact our Equity Officer Nadia Kanani at cupe3903equity@gmail.com

Bargaining Team Report: Week of November 06, 2023

As the Union clears its Proposals’ deck, the Employer further delays Countering

Following a busy GMM on October 31, the Bargaining Team (BT) had a large volume of proposals to present to the Employer at our meeting on November 7. An updated–and nearly final–proposal package is available online. Because the Employer did not prioritize reaching agreement on a new, comprehensive job stability program for Unit 2 members at the final meeting of the Job Stability Committee (JSC) on November 2, at this late stage in bargaining we now need to address job stability at the bargaining table. After hearing our November 7 proposals, the Employer is delaying the presentation of their “Schedule C,” the incomplete portion of their October 27 proposal package that would address non-wage items. The Employer’s package originally stated that they would present Schedule C on November 7 despite the uncertainty of what would unfold at the JSC on November 2.By the end of the October 27 meeting, they indicated we could expect a comprehensive response on November 17. And then at the November 7 meeting, they announced this would no longer be the case. We await for the Employer to finally provide us with Schedule C at our upcoming November 24 bargaining meeting. Please read below for a fuller update on the November 7 bargaining meeting.

Finally, we have a vacancy on the Bargaining Team for a representative from Unit 1. The nomination period is open until November 17. Please consider putting your name forward!

Unit 1 and Unit 2

At our November 7 bargaining meeting, the 3903 team presented the employer with Unit 1 (Teaching Assistants) proposals to increase fellowship amounts consistent with the wage increase proposals. These proposals would ensure that both domestic and international students benefit from the fellowship increase equally. In the last few years, the real value of our funding packages has decreased drastically due to inflation and the rapidly increasing cost of living, and it’s high time the employer puts genuine effort into fairly compensating intellectual and research work performed by graduate students on campus. 

As well, we proposed essential changes to the priority pool language to ensure that members are not penalized by funding clawbacks for receiving financial awards. We also exchanged other proposals on Workload, Academic Freedom, and Intellectual Property with the employer. 

We also shared proposals addressing issues of overwork, such as by lowering class size caps for foundation courses. These proposals not only benefit Contract Faculty (Unit 2) and Teaching Assistants (Unit 1) but will also improve the quality of education by increasing one-on-one learning opportunities within undergraduate classrooms.

Health Benefits

At the table, the 3903 bargaining team introduced a second round of proposals to add Sunlife coverage of medical devices, hearing aids, and diagnostic tests not covered under OHIP/UHIP. These proposals respond to our membership’s needs (as reflected in Extended Health Benefits usage data) and also seek to match our collective agreement benefits with improvements seen in other public sector unions in recent years.

We also pushed the Employer to begin automatic enrollment for new employees (and re-enrollment for members whose previous coverage has expired) for our dental, vision, drug and paramedical services plans. The current manual process of enrollment is inefficient and obsolete and inevitably results in new and returning members going uninsured for long periods. 

Equity Proposals

The Bargaining team introduced proposals that will extend a range of support and services to racialized members who may have experienced discrimination, harassment, and violence. These proposals are designed from the point of view of centering and taking seriously the voices of racialized members. We asked the Employer to (1) provide a fund of $50,000 to support racialized members to receive immediate and tangible support if and when they experience discrimination, harassment, and violence and (2) to agree to provide accommodations when such cases arise to ensure appropriate measures are taken to support said members. We also noted that these proposals provide members the opportunity to self-determine the nature of support they require. It is the responsibility of the Employer to provide necessary accommodations and funds for racialized employees, especially as they have made commitments to Decolonization, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEDI) and to better support racialized members. In light of these publicly stated commitments, we look forward to the employer engaging in both of these interrelated proposals seriously and meaningfully. The 3903 BT also proposed the creation of a Joint Workplace Accommodations Committee that would, in collaboration with the Employer, receive and make recommendations on policy and practice regarding workplace accommodations including, but not limited to, medical/disability accommodations, family status accommodations, and religious accommodations. The Employer would be required to consult the committee on changes being considered to workplace accommodations policies and practices and the Employer’s Disability Support Program.

Job Stability Committee (JSC) update

After over two years of trying to reach an agreement with the Employer through the Joint Job Stability Committee (JSC) the Union has lost faith in the process. With considerable misgivings, at the end of our 2020–2021 contract negotiations we agreed to the creation of the JSC to reach an agreement on a comprehensive job stability program for Unit 2. The JSC is now more than a year past its original deadline agreed to by both parties. The 3903 membership has shown good will and patience in trying this approach, and was willing to allow one final meeting of the JSC, which was then scheduled for November 2. Our growing frustration with the process was unfortunately confirmed just a few hours into our session that was mediated by Chris Albertyn, when the employer said that because of other commitments, they did not have the people on their side to continue negotiating. We asked if they would be willing to return to the table later that evening; they declined. Despite considerable progress toward the creation of a new job stability program (JSP), and despite 3903 members of the JSC having ideas about how to proceed, the larger joint committee is at an impasse on key issues such as the criteria for entry into the program, the minimum teaching load for those in the program, and how long it will take to fully implement the program. After the November 2 meeting, the Union floated the idea of going into arbitration on these issues as a way to resolve the impasse, but the University has since refused that idea. Join our upcoming SGMM on Tuesday November 14 as we make important decisions on the path forward for ensuring that our Unit 2 Contract Faculty members receive the long overdue job stability they deserve. As one of the most precarious employee groups within an increasingly privatized education sector, we deserve a JSP that ensures guaranteed work as well as pathways to dignified retirement for all Contract Faculty.

Unit 3 Grievance Update 

Unit 3, representing the Graduate Assistants (GAs) at York University, met with the Employer on October 31, to discuss the grievance filed by the Union over the Employer’s grievous violation of our collective agreement. Through two consecutive rounds of bargaining covering our previous two collective agreements, York University has acted in bad faith by concealing the true cost to hiring units and principle investigators of hiring Graduate Assistants and, consequently, improperly administering the Graduate Assistant Training Fund (GATF). We continue to push for a decent settlement from the employer on this matter. It is important to note here that the Employer can in fact find a solution for its many mistakes by meaningfully engaging with—and agreeing to—the Unit 3 proposals we have placed on the bargaining table. 

Get Involved! Upcoming Bargaining Meetings

We are close to entering the conciliation stage of bargaining! Get involved in this critical stage of identifying our “red lines” (that is, key demands we are willing to strike over) and preparing for a strike mandate vote.

Our union practices open bargaining, meaning all meetings of the Bargaining Team—including our face-to-face meetings with the Employer’s bargaining team—are open to all members of CUPE 3903. All members are encouraged to attend bargaining meetings (the regular weekly meetings and our meetings with the Employer). As members of CUPE 3903, you are free to come and go from our meetings with the ER as your schedules allow.

Check the CUPE 3903 website’s calendar for any updates. 

Bargaining Meetings with the Employer

With the exception of November 30, this month’s bargaining meetings are taking place in a hybrid format. Join us in person in Kaneff Tower 519 (located just east of York Lanes) or online via Zoom by registering in advance using the links below.

Friday Nov 17 – 10AM-5PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-ivrD0tHN1hit1wNSdYqT5RDaFTjg7v 

Friday Nov 24 – 10AM-5PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-ivrD0tHN1hit1wNSdYqT5RDaFTjg7v 

Thursday Nov 30 – 1PM-5PM  (Online)

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMld-upqTwuGN3CFB1OHp3lgtdmgy2WYrIS 

Bargaining Team Meetings

Nov 20, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Nov 27, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Upcoming 3903 Bargaining Special General Membership Meeting

We encourage members to participate in the SGMM on Bargaining, which are now HYBRID!  (For Zoom participation, you need to register in advance), in person: Location TBA.  Here’s the link to join the next bargaining team meeting (also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

Tuesday Nov.14, 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Register here! 

Upcoming 3903 GMM

We encourage members to participate in the GMM, which as part of our bargaining process will obviously have updates about bargaining, but which also includes general union business, and which are now HYBRID!  (For Zoom participation, you need to register in advance), in person: Location TBA.  Here’s the link to join the next bargaining team meeting (also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

Friday Dec. 1, 2:30 – 5:30 p.m., 

 Register here!

Upcoming 3903 Bargaining Team and 3903 EXEC Meeting

As always, we encourage members to participate in our regular bargaining team meetings with 3903 EXEC (without the Employer). Here’s the link to join the next bargaining team/EXEC meeting (also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

Tuesday Nov. 21, 3:00-6:00 p.m.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86295371912?pwd=MUN6dEZieDBVaC95cEd1ZEV1WCtiQT09

What We’re Bargaining For:

Negotiating new collective agreements is an opportunity to improve working and learning conditions that only comes around every three years. This round, we have four broad priority areas addressing crucial issues that need to be addressed now; there’s no time to wait!   

Addressing the Cost-of-Living Crisis

The cost-of-living crisis is affecting everyone but hitting those who are already vulnerable the most. Between the unconstitutional Bill 124, which restricted wage increases to 1% per year for three years, and record high inflation (the Bank of Canada Inflation Calculator uses a change rate of +15% for this period), the real wages (adjusted for inflation) that precariously employed academics earn for their work has dropped drastically. Inadequate wages impact us every day—at the grocery store, at the rental office, at the pharmacy. The state of low wages for Contract Faculty, student workers is an equity issue that impacts both the quality and accessibility of education at York University. We need not only substantial increases in wages and graduate funding, but also significant increases in our health benefits and other funds that we rely on to make ends meet.

Protecting Our Rights

On one hand, the employer has proposed language for an employer-led informal resolutions process, making it harder for members to file discrimination and harassment grievances. On the other, we have proposed a better trauma-informed process for dealing with discrimination and harassment cases. We need to push back against these attacks on existing protections. In fact, we need to make those protections better! We have proposed ways to improve the workplace accommodations process for members with disabilities, an accommodations process and supports for members experiencing racialized violence, and a new mediation-arbitration process so grievances can be resolved faster. These proposals help make the university a more inclusive and accessible place for everyone!

Ensuring Job Security

Did you know contract faculty (members of CUPE 3903 Unit 2) have to re-apply every few months for courses they’ve often taught for years? York relies on precarious contract labour for more than half of its teaching needs yet resists recognizing the value of that work. This bargaining round, we want to strengthen our existing job stability programs.

Graduate student employees also need stability! This round we have presented proposals to strengthen the priority pool for Unit 1 members (graduate students employed in teaching), and we’ve proposed a comprehensive set of proposals to protect graduate student researchers in Unit 3.  

The Employer’s final offers provide little to either Unit 2 (contract faculty) or Unit 3 (graduate and research assistants) to address our job stability needs. Job stability and equitable hiring improve students’ learning experiences by giving instructors more time to plan courses and creating an overall better learning environment at York University.

Our Working Conditions Are Students’ Learning Conditions

Members of CUPE 3903 are the instructors and educators that students interact with most! Improving our working conditions has a direct impact on students’ learning conditions. In this round, we have made proposals to address class sizes and workload, so that students can get more one-on-one instructor attention. Our plan has consistently been to put classrooms first, improving education at York is at the core of our proposals!

Please visit our Bargaining Proposals page for a detail look at all proposals submitted to date!

UPDATE: The Strike Mandate Vote closed December 18th, the result were an overwhelming majority YES strike mandate! Next steps are preparing for our Red lines Meeting – Please attend the January 19th from 3:00pm Red Line Special General Membership Meetings to identify which proposals or principles the membership will not accept a Collective Agreement without!

The collective agreements for CUPE 3903 Units 1, 2, and 3 expired on August 31, 2023. Since that time, we have collected data, prepared proposals, and begun bargaining. Despite our best efforts, we have not seen any significant progress so far at the bargaining table in any of our priority areas.

The reality is, for the past three years our wages have been suppressed at 1% while the cost of living skyrockets around us. Members are struggling to keep up with rent, bills and the cost of groceries. Many having to take on additional employment, go into debt, rely on social assistance and food banks to get by. On top of that, after almost two years of efforts with the Job Stability Committee, we have not been able to reach an agreement with the Employer.

The Employers’ counter-proposals so far are simply inadequate, the monetary proposals would allow us to scarcely break even as of 2023 (if it was implemented immediately) and does not factor in current and future inflation. While the mere 1% increase to only certain funds, and no increases or improvements to our Sun Life health benefits, hurts our ability to afford services essential to wellbeing. On top of that, the Employer has proposed language making it harder for members to file discrimination and harassment grievances. We need to push back against these attacks on existing protections. In fact, we need to make those protections better! Some things are worth fighting for.

Members are feeling more precarious than ever and we simply can’t afford to wait any longer for the Employer to meaningfully engage with our proposals. We need to pressure the employer to take our proposals seriously and respect the work done by our members at York. Vote YES on the Strike Mandate Vote (SMV) electronically from 3:00 PM December 11th to 3:00 PM December18th to show that we are willing to fight for what we deserve!

What is a strike mandate vote?

The Strike Mandate Vote (SMV) serves two purposes: it meets the requirements to be in legal strike position, and it serves as a strong bargaining tool. The SMV is the first step in mobilizing to be in legal strike position, and as such, is an important bargaining strategy. It shows the employer that the membership supports our bargaining team and the proposals they’ve brought forward by allowing the bargaining team to call for a strike if certain terms are not met.

Why are we having a strike mandate vote?

A strong strike mandate is often necessary to give the employer incentive to move at the bargaining table; in fact, in all the rounds of CUPE 3903-York bargaining in our living memory, the Employer has never brought any proposal worth settling on to the table without a strong Strike Mandate Vote.

Having a strike mandate vote has two effects:

1. It shows the employer that we are serious about our proposals, and that the members are mobilizing to support them.
2. In the process of mobilizing, it helps the members prepare for a strike if escalation is required.

What kind of strike mandate vote do we need?

The most effective strike mandate vote has a high turnout (the number of members who vote) and a strong strike mandate (the proportion who vote yes).

• A high turnout is important because it shows that a wide cross-section of the membership is engaged and mobilized about the bargaining process.
• A strong yes vote is also important because the union is strongest when it is united.

The Employer will be much more fearful of a strike – and more likely to negotiate seriously – if they know that the vote represents a real threat, and not just a bluff.

Does a ‘yes’ vote mean that we’re going on strike?

It is the first steps towards being in a strike position. A strong strike mandate vote does not necessarily mean we will strike, but it does indicate that we are ready to do so if necessary. If a strikes is necessary, You, along with the other members of your unit, are at the wheel of this process. If strike escalation is required, we will be prepared and members will vote a second time to authorize a strike.

What happens after a successful strike mandate vote?

After a successful strike mandate vote, the Bargaining Team returns to the bargaining table empowered to negotiate a good contract for all three units. The Bargaining Team will present the Employer’s best offer to the membership for a vote. If it passes, the offer will be sent to ratification; if it fails, the membership will discuss whether to go on strike or return to the bargaining table.

If the employer still doesn’t take bargaining seriously, we move to next steps.

• First both parties will have to meet with a conciliator.
• If no agreement can be reached, the conciliator files a “No-Board” report, which indicates to the Ministry of Labour that the parties are too far apart to reach an agreement.
• After the No-Board, there is a mandatory wait period of 17 days before we reach a strike or lockout position.

The whole timeline gives the Bargaining Team ample time to try to reach an agreement with the employer, assuming the employer is willing. No decision to go on strike will be taken without another vote, members are in charge every step of the way.

How to Vote

We will be opening our strike mandate vote on December 11th at the Special General Membership Meeting, and it will remain open until December 18th. The vote will take place online, through SimplyVoting. The ballots are sent to the member email lists we receive from York University, sometimes this is your York University employee email address.

How to Vote

We will be opening the strike mandate vote at 3:00 PM after the December 11th Special General Membership Meeting, and it will remain open until 5:00 PM December 18th. If you can’t make the December 11th meeting but want to hear from the bargaining team and discuss bargaining before voting, there will be a second Special General Membership Meeting on December 14th.

The vote will take place online, through Simply Voting. The ballots are sent to the email list we receive from the Employer; sometimes this is your York University employee email address. If you are having issues finding your ballot from Simply Voting once the vote opens, please try the following things:

1. Check your employee email address (the email used to access things like HR self-serve and class lists)

2. Check any other email addresses that York University may have on file.

3. Check your junk mail on your emails as well

4. Try searching ‘Simply Voting’ in your inbox (the email comes from vote@simplyvoting.com)

If you STILL can’t find your SMV ballot, please the sectreasurer3903@gmail.com your full name, primary email address, and your employee number.  Also, please add vote@simplyvoting.com to your safe senders list so that subsequent ballots do not end up in your junk mail folder.

If you do not have a current contract but have held one within the last 12 months, you are a political member and are eligible to vote. Please email sectreasurer3903@gmail.com with your full name, primary email address, and your former employee number to receive your electronic ballot.

Member Supports Against Intimidation and Reprisals from the Employer

Over the past few weeks, we have heard from members, particularly international students and racialized members, who are experiencing significant anxieties around reprisals and harassment from York University over public support for Palestine. These anxieties are warranted, especially in light of President Rhonda Lenton’s demand that three democratically elected student executive committees step down or risk the university withdrawing recognition of the unions as reprisals for issuing a joint Statement of Solidarity with Palestine.

CUPE 3903 supports the rights of academics, students, unionists, and activists to speak out against all forms of violence and oppression without fear of intimidation or reprisal. As stated through the Executive Committee endorsement of the Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism, Racism, Colonialism & Censorship in Canada (ARC) Call To Action, we are committed to supporting and fully representing members who are targeted because of their scholarship, political work and community organizing, as well as holding the employer accountable to its duty to provide a safe workplace.

How CUPE 3903 can support workers

Over the last 30 years, CUPE 3903 has fought for many rights and privileges, which are protected by our Collective Agreements. These include a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment! If you are facing reprisals, harassment, or discrimination, or believe you might be, get in touch with us as soon as you can. Nadia Kanani, our Equity Officer, can be reached at cupe3903equity@gmail.com. All conversations with Nadia are strictly confidential and don’t oblige you to take further steps. 

The union can help members with one or more of the following responses to discrimination and harassment: 

• Filing grievances (i.e. official complaint against the employer) on your behalf
• Filing complaints with the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion
• Representing you in any disciplinary or other meeting in which you are being reprised for your activism or beliefs
• Supporting you in safety planning
• Supporting you through the workplace accommodations or paid leaves process if the harassment or discrimination negatively impact your ability to work
• Connecting you with community-based resources and supports

You don’t need to know what support(s) you need to start a conversation.   

One of the most important things about being in a union is that it’s never just you filing a complaint or facing reprisals alone. We stand in solidarity, and we fight against injustice together. 

Nominations are open for all positions on the Professional Development Fund Committee!

This committee has three elected representatives: the PDF Coordinator, and two PDF Representatives. The PDF Coordinator administers the PDF Fund throughout the contract year in accordance with established guidelines, and is the primary contact person for members. One of the Coordinator’s tasks is to chair four meetings to adjudicate the distribution of the PDF fund, and the Tuition Costs Fund. The PDF Coordinator is responsible for adjudicating the Tuition Cost Fund with the Director of the Teaching Commons. The PDF Coordinator is also responsible for the actual disbursement of funds and for the general upkeep of the PDF email account. The PDF Coordinator is also a member of the Teaching Commons Executive Board and is CUPE 3903’s primary and ongoing connection to the Teaching Commons. The representatives are elected for a one-year term at the November general meeting of the membership (GMM).

Honorarium for the PDF Coordinator: $2250, paid in three equal installments of $750 per funding cycle at an estimated time of 40 hours per cycle. Honorarium for the PDF Representatives: $600, paid out as $200 per meeting per position.

Nominations close on November 22 at 5 p.m.

Interested members should email VP Unit 1, Ali Gholami, at cupe3903vpu1@gmail.com.

Bargaining Team Report for the Week of Oct 30, 2023

Bargaining Team and membership discuss and approve proposals and a revised timeline, while the Job Stability Committee comes to a disappointing, if predictable end

This week, we did not have a bargaining meeting with the Employer;  nevertheless, the BT was super busy. Our subcommittees had a full week prepping and meeting to get the balance of our proposals ready for the membership (see below for details on the proposals). A few proposals remain to be finalized, largely we are waiting on already requested information from the Employer. At the GMM on October 31, we were able to present all those proposals to the membership, and get approval to bring them to the bargaining table on November 7!  The Oct. 31 GMM also included a discussion of the Employer’s Oct. 27 “Framework for Settlement” and of our revised timeline and plans for mobilization; please see below for further details. For Unit 2 folks, we did meet with the Employer on November 2, on the joint Job Stability Committee (JSC), which wrapped up this week with a whimper and no agreement–so far. 

Please note that due to unexpected circumstances unrelated to bargaining, there is the U1 BT vacancy. The nomination period is open as of Nov. 3! Please consider putting your name forward for this important work. Finally you can show your support for your bargaining team and see for yourself how bargaining works by coming out to our November meetings (see below for details and locations and/or links)Bargaining team meeting (Nov. 6 1- 3 pm, online; Nov. 7 1130-1230, hybrid), Bargaining next week (Nov. 7 1-5, hybrid).  See below for specific information for each meeting.

Proposals

Since we began meeting with the Employer in July, the bargaining team has been gradually presenting a number of all-units proposals, including equity proposals, and our crucial demands on wages and benefits, which we presented in August. To meet our self-imposed deadline in relation to larger bargaining timeline considerations, the BT presented 35 all- or multi- unit  proposals, as well as a number of Unit 1 and Unit 2 proposals at the October 31 GMM. described below. The few proposals still to come remain unfinished because the Employer has not provided us with information we requested months ago or, in the case of Unit 2 job stability programs, we were waiting to see if an agreement on a comprehensive job stability program could be reached at the final meeting of the JSC (see below for more on the JSC).

All/multi units proposals:

We are proposing automatic enrollment in benefits, new coverage for medical devices, hearing aids, and medical tests, and a new fund, modelled on the SASSF (Sexual Assault Survivors Support Fund), to support members experiencing racial discrimination, harassment, and violence.

Unit 1:  

The Bargaining Team presented several Unit 1-specific proposals: improvements to the fellowship and the minimum funding guarantee; offsets (against “clawbacks”); a minimum turnaround time for the grading of assignments, tests, and exams; protections of intellectual property; academic freedom and “mode of delivery;” and scholarships and awards that affect membership in the bargaining unit. These proposals were all approved by the membership and will be presented to the Employer on November 7. 

Unit 1 members clearly identified graduate funding and wages as major priorities in the bargaining surveys that we administered over the summer. As such, the Bargaining Team has developed a proposal on fellowship funding for domestic students that parallels our proposals on wages, Grant-in-Aid, and Graduate Financial Assistance: a 40% increase plus inflation indexation. In developing our proposal for increases to the international student fellowship, we wanted to ensure equity between domestic and international students (i.e., we wanted to make sure that both domestic and international students receive the same amount of “take-home” pay once tuition is deducted from the increased fellowship amount, approximately $2,100). In several proposals we have attempted to eliminate and reduce the frequency of clawbacks by protecting certain funds (e.g., increases to wages, funds, scholarships) from offsets and raising the thresholds at which the fellowship is clawed back (e.g., scholarships of $50,000 or more instead of scholarships of $15,000 or more). 

In addition to these monetary proposals, we also presented a handful of proposals related to workload and academic freedom. Our proposal on workload would ensure a minimum turnaround time of 14 calendar days for TAs to grade assignments, tests, and exams. This would facilitate a more reasonable pace of work for Unit 1 members. Our proposal on academic freedom would give Unit 1 members more control over the mode of delivery of teaching-related duties such as office hours.  

U2:

The Unit 2 members of the Bargaining team  presented the majority of our proposals, which have now been passed by the membership. These include proposals on overwork, querying, applicable prior experience (or APE) credit for participating in University committees and governing bodies, new language for the collective agreement on Nursing qualifications (and a letter of agreement on the same), extending incumbency on member-designed courses, language and references in the collective agreement for triggers for markers and graders in Offers of appointment, and finally proposals for retirees to continue with their existing level of benefits, as well as library and email access.

We will present all proposals approved on October 31 to the employer at our November 7 meeting (see below for more information on upcoming bargaining meetings). Members can find a copy of all of our proposals online. 

Wages and the Employer’s offer to all unions on campus

Due to Bill 124, all employers in the campus unions were unable to negotiate fair and just wage increases during the last few years of collective agreements. The last report goes into much further detail, about the “framework of settlement” that the Employer offered to us. In similar frameworks to ours, the Employer has released similar offers to the other unions on campus. It is too soon for the Cross Campus Alliance (CCA) to have a response to the Employer, but look in both this space and in general 3903’s website for both the statements of the CCA and further ways to get involved.

Bargaining Timeline and Mobilization of Membership

As of the October 31 GMM, the membership has also approved a new timeline that is this month we should be entering conciliation, and which means that next month should be both the redline and strike mandate vote.  

What this means for you, the membership, is that you need to come out to the both, we need to show the Employer that the time is now for us to make our collective agreement, and the only way to do that is for us to have the strongest mandate possible.

JSC update:

At our August 10 GMM, Unit 2 members voted, somewhat reluctantly, to agree to one final meeting of the Joint Job Stability Committee, which was then over a year past its deadline to come up with a new job stability program. That final meeting took place on November 2 with representatives and staff from 3903, Mae Nam who is legal counsel for 3903, the Employer, and the Mediator, Chris Albertyn. 3903 representatives on the JSC were also joined by U2 members of the bargaining team to look at the Employer’s latest proposal for job security and stability for Unit 2, alongside our own redrafted sections. 

In the process, we reviewed our positions on elements where we remain significantly apart from the Employer, came up with new approaches where possible, re-affirming what we see as essential to getting long-overdue predictability and living wages for our members. The significant areas of difference remain eligibility (the Employer wants to limit access to job stability to members doing Type 1 work, while the 3903 side remains clear that both parties agreed to work on stability for Unit 2 members, full stop), appointments (again, the Employer wants to frame job stability as related to departmental need for Type 1 work, while we reject such a narrowing of job stability), guaranteed work (the Employer is offering a range of 2.0 to 3.0 FCEs, while we are sticking with 3.0 FCEs as necessary for economic survival), the amount that would make for a fair severance when exiting the program, details of the continuation of the CSSP while the new job stability program is implemented, as well as the speed of the rollout of the overall program and Direct Entry for low-seniority members who are Racialized, Indigenous or belong to two or more Employment Equity groups. 

There was tremendous unanimity and good spirit of all those working on the 3903 side to get a deal finalized. Despite 3903 members having made it clear to the ER in advance that this would be the final meeting of the joint JSC and despite our willingness to continue working into the evening, members of the ER’s team refused to stick around to continue to hammer out an agreement. What this communicated to us is that the Employer’s side considers the personal engagements of one or two people on their side more important than job stability for close to a thousand of our members. While we are very disappointed and frustrated with this outcome, we are working on next steps that we will bring to the membership at the November 14 SGMM.

Get Involved! Upcoming Bargaining Meetings

We’re continuing with a busy month of bargaining. Our union practices open bargaining, meaning all meetings of the Bargaining Team—including our face-to-face meetings with the Employer’s bargaining team—are open to all members of CUPE 3903. All  members are encouraged to attend bargaining meetings (the regular weekly meetings and our meetings with the Employer). As members of CUPE 3903, you are free to come and go from our meetings with the ER as your schedules require: you don’t have to show up right at the start or stay until the end—but of course, if you can stay, please do!

Check the CUPE 3903 website’s calendar for any updates. 

Bargaining Meetings with the Employer

With the exception of November 30, this month’s bargaining meetings are taking place in a hybrid format. Join us in person in Kaneff Tower 519 (located just east of York Lanes) or online by registering in advance using the links below.

Tuesday Nov 7 – 1PM-5PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkcOGgqzsvHt3dGL4IWirZ3ZdO934UuTMx 

Friday Nov 17 – 10AM-5PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-ivrD0tHN1hit1wNSdYqT5RDaFTjg7v 

Friday Nov 24 – 10AM-5PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-ivrD0tHN1hit1wNSdYqT5RDaFTjg7v 

Thursday Nov 30 – 1PM-5PM  (Online)

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMld-upqTwuGN3CFB1OHp3lgtdmgy2WYrIS 

Bargaining Team Meetings

Nov 6, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Nov 13, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Nov 20, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Nov 27, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Upcoming 3903 Bargaining SGMM

We encourage members to participate in the SGMM on Bargaining, which are now HYBRID!  (For Zoom participation, you need to register in advance), in person: Location TBA.  Here’s the link to join the next bargaining team meeting (also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

Tuesday Nov.14, 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Register here! 

Upcoming 3903 GMM

We encourage members to participate in the GMM, which as part of our bargaining process will obviously have updates about bargaining, but which also includes general union business, and which are now HYBRID!  (For Zoom participation, you need to register in advance), in person: Location TBA.  Here’s the link to join the next bargaining team meeting (also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

Friday Dec. 1, 2:30 – 5:30 p.m., 

 Register here!

Upcoming 3903 Bargaining Team and 3903 EXEC Meeting

As always, we encourage members to participate in our regular bargaining team meetings with 3903 EXEC (without the Employer). Here’s the link to join the next bargaining team/EXEC meeting (also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

Tuesday Nov. 21, 3:00-6:00 p.m.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86295371912?pwd=MUN6dEZieDBVaC95cEd1ZEV1WCtiQT09

Nominations to reopen for vacancies on the Bargaining Team and Executive Committee

There are currently two vacancies:
Bargaining Team: Unit 1 (1 vacancy)
Executive Committee: Secretary-Treasurer

Nominations for these positions will reopen Nov. 3 at 12:00 p.m.

The online NOMINATION FORM is available HERE; the form will close at the end of the nomination period (Nov 17, 2023 12:00 p.m.). For contested positions, the nomination period will be followed by two weeks of campaigning and Voting (through Simply Voting) will begin at the December GMM and will continue for five days. 

Additional Details:

• The traditional register and nomination form have been combined into a single electronic election nomination form, thus it is the only thing a nominee will need to fill out. A nominee will need to know the names and email address of two supporters, who need to be members in good standing. Upon submitting the nomination form, the supporters will be automatically contacted to endorse the nomination via a pre-populated supporter form (this form will disable at the close of the nomination period as well). Please note that some people have had the supporter form go to their Junk folder, so if you have agreed to support a candidate, please also check there for the email with the form.
• The nomination period will open at noon on Nov 3 and will close two weeks later on Nov 17 at noon.  The form will automatically disable at the close of the nomination period.
• Information concerning the campaigning period and electronic voting will be forthcoming.
• Should members have any accessibility concerns they should contact the EOs at cupe3903eo@gmail.com, or the Equity Officer at cupe3903equity@gmail.com

Bargaining Team is met with a wage and funds counter-proposal in the form of a framework to settle

Bargaining Team Report for the Week of Oct 23, 2023

This week the bargaining team (BT) met at our regular weekly meeting on Monday Oct. 23. The BT discussed new Equity proposals and continued working towards our goal to have all or almost all remaining proposals presented at the GMM on October 31, to then be presented on November 7 to the employer.

Oct. 27 was a bargaining day. The day commenced with the Employer bringing forward a counter-proposal on wages and funds in the form of a “Memorandum of Settlement for a Renewal Collect Agreement” in which they proposed an 11% cumulative wage increase for all three units along with a 1% increase for certain funds in the next CA. 

This counter-proposal came as something of a surprise since the Employer had been withholding any counters on monetary proposals for two months, despite increasing pressure from multiple unions on campus to bargain fair wages after the unconstitutional Bill 124 was struck down. Representatives of all unions who are part of the Cross-Campus Alliance, including members of our bargaining team, heard a presentation on the university’s financial standing on October 23. We heard that the administration’s significant reliance on international student fees, and the volatility of international student enrollment has diminished the university’s revenues, and that there has been no contingency planning to uphold the wage reopener clauses the Employer negotiated with all unions that bargained under Bill 124. 

Subsequent to this presentation, when we met on October 27, the employer presented their wage and funds counter-proposal by way of a framework for settlement. We are told that this incomplete package will be filled out with further proposals by November 17, 2023.

This framework proposes a 3% retroactive increase for members who worked in the 2022-23 school year, to be paid to members who are still employees at the date of ratification. This means that any members who worked from 2020-22 will not be retroactively compensated for that work nor will any members who no longer hold a contract when the new collective agreement is ratified. While the Employer confirmed that this 3% retroactive increase would raise the floor that the next collective agreement’s wage increases would build upon, we are concerned about how many members would be deemed ineligible to benefit from even this modest increase. Moreover, their counter-proposal would only provide retroactive pay for one of three years of the period where our members’ wages were constrained by the unconstitutional Bill 124.

On August 29, we presented a wage proposal to the Employer that included three pieces: retroactive increases for the Bill 124 era, increases over the next collective agreement, and inflation indexation. For the retroactive piece, we proposed increases of 6% per year, over and above the 1% increases stipulated in the 2020–2023 collective agreement. In addition, we proposed a 7% increase in years one and two of the next CA. In year three, we proposed an increase of 5% or the rate of inflation for the Greater Toronto Area, whichever was higher. Furthermore, we proposed that wages be indexed to inflation in this manner in subsequent years.

The Employer proposed wage increases of 3%, 2.5%, and 2% over the three years of the 2023-2026 collective agreement. These increases would build upon the 3% retroactive increase for 2022-23, which means that the Employer’s proposal amounts to a cumulative wage increase of 11.01%. Our membership experienced a loss of real wages of 10.57% over the period of 2020 to 2023. An 11.01% cumulative wage increase would allow us to scarcely break even as of 2023 (if it was implemented immediately) and does not factor in current and future inflation. With the average annual rate of inflation for 2023 hovering around 3.8%, the Bank of Canada projects an average annual rate of inflation of 3.5% over the next year, and decreasing to a rate of 2% by 2025. Given these projections of sustained higher-than-normal inflation, the Employer’s wage counter-proposal would further erode the real wages of our membership. The Employer also proposed a mere 1% increase to only certain funds and no increases or improvements to our Sun Life health benefits; any funds or benefits that are not included in the wage settlement framework would not be improved or increased in the next collective agreement. 

In further contrast to our initial wage proposal, the employer does not want to entertain inflation indexation, stating that inflation is too volatile to plan for in budgeting. As such, the Employer is willing to pay inadequate wages to our bargaining units in order to avoid changes to their bottom line. 

This counter-proposal is simply inadequate given what we have heard about the hardships our members have been experiencing to cover rent, food, and other necessities, as well as to afford services essential to wellbeing. And 3903 members are not alone in finding it hard to survive on York pay, or in their determination to fight for fair wages: we have heard similar struggles and strong will from the members of the Cross-Campus Alliance 

Timeline

The BT has been working on a revised timeline to better reflect the current status of bargaining. This will be shared with the membership at the GMM on October 31.

Get Involved! Upcoming Bargaining Meetings

We’re continuing with a busy month of bargaining. In keeping with the principle of open bargaining, all members are encouraged to attend bargaining meetings (the regular weekly meetings and our meetings with the Employer). You can see more details about that and other meetings below, and we want members to know you are free to come and go from our meetings with the ER as your schedules require: you don’t have to show up right at the start or stay until the end—but of course, if you can stay, please do!

Check the CUPE 3903 website’s calendar for any updates. 

Bargaining Meetings with the Employer

This month’s bargaining meetings are taking place in a hybrid format. Join us in person in Kaneff Tower 512 (located just east of York Lanes) or online by registering in advance using the links below.

Tuesday Nov 7 – 1PM-5PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkcOGgqzsvHt3dGL4IWirZ3ZdO934UuTMx 

Friday Nov 17 – 10AM-5PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-ivrD0tHN1hit1wNSdYqT5RDaFTjg7v 

Friday Nov 24 – 10AM-5PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-ivrD0tHN1hit1wNSdYqT5RDaFTjg7v 

Thursday Nov 30 – 1PM-5PM  (Online)

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMld-upqTwuGN3CFB1OHp3lgtdmgy2WYrIS 

Bargaining Team Meetings

Oct 30, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84211348026?pwd=V2lwYnpMbG1VdmRBWHB5bHhqK3Y0UT09

Nov 6, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Nov 13, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Nov 20, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

Nov 27, 2023 1:00–3:00 PM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836769208?pwd=RUFjUWRSVHB4bi9Odi9wRjVDeFJXdz09 

General Membership Meetings

October GMM

Oct 31, 2:00-5:00 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvcuyrqT0pE912bq-UA66a0STPK0nosG78 

Accessibility of Bargaining Meetings 

For the regular bargaining team meetings, Zoom captions will be enabled. For the bargaining meetings with the Employer, CART will be available. If you require ASL interpretation or reimbursement for childcare/caregiver/attendant care or have any other accommodation requests, please contact our Equity Officer, Nadia Kanani, at cupe3903equity@gmail.com.

Due to the high demand for ASL interpreters, we encourage members to provide, when possible, two weeks’ notice if ASL interpretation is required.