Bargaining is heating up and we’re cooking on hot! CUPE 3903 is hosting the annual WELCOME BACK BBQ, October 3rd from 12-4 pm on the Roy McMurtry Green (Between Atkinson and Osgoode Hall).

Help bring out the new members in your department to introduce them to their union. This is a great opportunity to casually ask any questions about bargaining you might have as well!

There will be vegan, halal, and kosher food options. Accessible washrooms are available both in Atkinson and Second Student Centre buildings, and there will be seating available. Volunteers are still needed to help out on the day of the event, be it with set up, tabling and help cooking! If you can help please contact your lead stewards.

Matt Lomas – Lead Steward Unit 1 – cupe3903csu1@gmail.com
Chris Bailey – Lead Steward Unit 2 – cupe3903chiefstewardunit2@gmail.com

Nominations closed on September 19th 2023, at 12:00 PM. We received one nomination per position and are excited to announce the following acclaimed positions:

Bargaining Team Member Unit 1: Maya Campo
Bargaining Team Member Unit 3 : Shyam Patel

Congratulations!

Bargaining Team Report Back: Week of Sept. 11, 2023

This week, the bargaining team got feedback and discussed strategy with the larger 3903 membership and members of the Union executive. The foremost topics were the Union’s new equity proposals, the Employer’s stance on monetary proposals, Unit 3 issues, and meeting process and quorum.

BT brings new equity proposals before the membership, and discusses strategy on monetary proposals

This week we met with the membership during the bargaining SGMM on Sept. 12, 2023, and presented a holistic perspective on all the proposals from the Union and Employer sides.The bargaining team presented equity proposals to the membership around mentoring and assistive technologies funds. These proposals need to be voted on before they can be passed to the Employer, so we are asking members to please show up to the Sept. 21 GMM (see below for details). The meeting ended with members sharing ideas with the BT on how to approach future bargaining meetings, especially in regards to the Employer’s disciplinary proposals, and the Employer’s stance on not discussing monetary proposals until all non-monetary proposals have been presented. Low wages, Bill 124, and inflation have negatively impacted the 3903 membership, so we seriously hope that the Employer’s position does not represent an indication that they plan to stall on responding to our wages and funds proposals. We will seek clarification from the Employer on their position and continue to emphasize that our members cannot wait for remedies on the high cost of living.

All members count!

During the joint Bargaining team and 3903 Executive Committee meeting held this week, we followed up on some of the issues raised during the SGMM. To address quorum issues, the executive referred to existing by-laws which direct us to use the last available membership list from Summer 2023, until an updated membership number is received from the employer after the September payroll deadline. We brainstormed several ideas on how to engage with new incoming members through an expanded communication strategy. In the next month, we will be doubling our efforts to reach out to new members both through in-person mobilization and via our social media channels. We encourage all members to not only sign-up for weekly newsletters and keep an eye on 3903’s website in order to be fully updated on critical bargaining issues, but also join us in all SGMM’s, GMM’s, BT meetings, and Bargaining meetings with the employer.

Not backing down on Unit 3

Unit 3 (Graduate Assistants, or GAs) representatives on the bargaining team also discussed ongoing concerns about the lack of information shared by the employer on the Graduate Assistant Training (GAT) Fund. The GAT Fund, which is meant to incentivize the hiring of GAs, exists due to the Union’s past bargaining efforts, and in recent years, it has contributed to a marginal increase in GA hirings across the university. The employer has a history of misappropriating GAT Funds and continues to neglect the concerns of this unit. and in this round of bargaining the union aims to not only protect but also further fortify this fund. We will continue to follow up with the employer on our previous requests for details about how much it costs faculty to hire a GA. If you have any concerns around GA positions being informalized into non-unionized RA positions we request that you reach out to Unit 3 members of the Executive Committee or 3903 departmental stewarts.  Given the Employer’s efforts to excise Unit 3 work from the Union, we remain on high alert.

Joint Letter from the Cross-Campus alliance on Wage Reopeners

Back in August of this year, CUPE 3903 came together with the York University Staff Association (YUSA), York University Faculty Association (YUFA), and CUPE 1356 (representing Custodial, Grounds, Maintenance, Parking, Security and Transportation Services workers on York campus) to call on the University administration to do what other Ontario universities have done and renegotiate wages for workers affected by Bill 124. In the last round of bargaining, Bill 124 placed a 1% cap on wage increases and thereby violated workers rights to bargain freely (read more background on the CUPE 3903 website). This summer Bill 124 was struck down by the Ontario Superior Court because it violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In the coming days, the Cross-Campus Alliance will be meeting the administration to discuss the “wage reopener” added to the last round of Collective Agreements and re-negotiate the portions of those salary and compensation provisions that were limited by Bill 124. We will share more information on the same, once the employer responds with a joint meeting date.

We rely on the membership in our many efforts to bargain for a better future. We can leverage our combined strengths at various opportune moments and we hope you will consider joining one or more of the following scheduled meetings. 

Upcoming Bargaining Meetings with the Employer

CUPE 3903 is committed to open bargaining, which means all members are welcome to attend bargaining meetings (either in person or via Zoom). The next few meetings with the employer will take place on the following dates:

Friday 22 September, 10 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Hybrid). Location: Kaneff Tower, Room: 519

Register in advance:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0odOmhpzkuGNDmbOU8z52c9Rfx13eQ5NQk?os=ipad#/registration 

Wednesday 27 September, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Online, via Zoom) 

Register in advance:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwuceirqzopE9Y_Hnn9PdQRDibBVjIoV68e?os=ipad#/registration

Upcoming 3903 Bargaining Team Meetings

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

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 12:00-2:00 p.m.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85622995633?pwd=R1Q5ekNKRUVSLzhmRWhxWm1tL2I0UT09

Upcoming 3903 GMM

We encourage all members to participate in the 3903 GMM, online via Zoom. To receive your personalized link to the meeting, click on the pre-registration link below. Due to security and privacy concerns, we request that members not forward the zoom links they receive after registration.

Here’s the link to join the next bargaining team meeting (also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

General Membership Meeting: September 21st, 2:00pm to 5:00pm! | CUPE 3903

Pre Register here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAscuqqrjstH9dd7SN_4ys3M7sFp2ma-9in#/registration

Upcoming 3903 Joint Bargaining Team–Executive Meeting

As always, we encourage members to participate in our (now semi-)regular joint meetings with the CUPE 3903 Executive Committee. The next joint meeting will take place:

Tuesday, October 17, 3:00–6:00 p.m. (Registration link to be shared soon.)

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 requests for accommodation, 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.

Join us on Wednesday September 20 at 12:10 P.M. for a Rally for Fair Wages at York University

Despite the dramatic increases to the cost of living, wage increases for unionized workers at York University have been capped at 1% per year for three years due to Doug Ford’s unjust Bill 124. This law has now been struck down by the court as they found it violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Join us at the rally to call on the university to negotiate fair wage increases for staff, faculty and graduate student workers now!

We will meet at 12:10 P.M. at outside William Small Centre (near the Tim Hortons) and march together to Kaneff Tower where the president’s office is located. When we arrive in front of Kaneff Tower we will raise our voices to call on the university administration to do what other Ontario universities have done and renegotiate wages for workers affected by Bill 124.

Please help us plan for how many will attend by signing up here.

Here is a map illustrating the start and end points of the rally.

CUPE 3903 would like to warmly congratulate these members for their success in the 2022-2023 Long Service Teaching Appointments (LSTAs) and Conversions exercises! LSTAs are a guaranteed work intensity over several years for senior contract faculty, while successful conversion applicants join YUFA as tenure-stream faculty.

Long Service Teaching Appointments (LSTA)

David Kyungwon Lee, LAPS
Elizabeth (Zab) Hobart, AMPD
Alireza Rafiee, Science
Richardine Woodall, LAPS/Glendon
Myles Wieselman, LAPS
Kirk Atkinson, LAPS
Eric Bronson, LAPS
Hui Wang, Lassonde
Andriy Pavlovych, Lassonde
Carl Wolfe, Science

Conversions

Valerie Florentin, Glendon
Lorin Schwartz, Education

If you are a member of Unit 2 and you are interested in preparing an application file for these job security programs, please consider joining one of the introductory workshops scheduled in September.

We have started a new school year, and we are happy to be back in the classrooms and labs with our students! As such, this was a good week for some reflection on where we stand in bargaining this round. With the new term getting underway, we look forward to more of our members joining us in our (bi)weekly Bargaining Meetings this week (Sept 11), the upcoming SGMM this week (Sept 12), the joint BT/Exec meeting (Sept 14), and the Bargaining meetings with the Employer: Sept 25 (11:00am 4:00pm – hybrid) and Sept. 27 (10:00am – 12:30pm – online only). Please join us for any and all of these opportunities for you – the membership – to direct us, your bargaining team, in negotiating the new Collective Agreement. (See below for specific information for each meeting.)

Continue reading →

Bargaining Team Report Back 

Week of August 28, 2023

There were two bargaining meetings scheduled with the employer this week on August 29 and August 31 from 10-5pm. During these two days of bargaining, both sides presented and discussed proposals. Most notably, the union presented our proposal for a wage increase and several increases to funds and benefits.

Bargaining with the employer August 29 and August 31

Employer proposals

The employer (ER) provided three documents.

Regarding disciplinary procedures (Article 8.03.1), the employer’s most recent proposal includes language intended to address CUPE 3903’s concerns that the changes would make it easier for a supervisor (e.g., department chair) to call a member in for a meeting—the first step in the discipline process—based on an unspecified “concern.” The current language in the collective agreement requires a formal “complaint” be made about a member’s job performance before such a meeting can take place. The ER’s new language attempts to make the proposed change more palatable by stressing that the meetings are to be held “informally.” But, most of the language remains unchanged since July 31. This proposal and the ER’s original proposals can be found on the CUPE 3903 website.

The ER’s second set of proposals would make substantive changes to Article 13 Evaluations in the Units 1 and 2 collective agreements. These changes would give the ER more control over the evaluations process by, for example, taking away a members’ right to choose their own informal evaluator and instead placing the choice in the hands of department chairs (or relevant academic administrators). The ER’s proposals would also give chairs greater power to initiate a formal job evaluation by disregarding the recommendation of an informal evaluator that a formal evaluation was not necessary.

The ER also proposed changing Article 13.07.1 of the Unit 2 CA to make the results of the core institutional questions from student course evaluations available to students. The ER suggested that this change would merely make the information shared with students uniform across all courses, since the results of student evaluations are already shared for YUFA members. 

All proposals presented by both sides can be found on the CUPE 3903 website. 

In answer to a query the employer changed the language on Article 15.01.3 – Unit 1; 15.01.8 Unit 2 and Article 11.01 – Unit 3 found here. This is in regards to persons with disabilities and accommodations.

CUPE Proposals

Unit 3 proposals

The Bargaining Team presented the Union’s proposal to Article 10.03 to ensure that the full value (“financial value”) of the GA contract would be laid out in the letter of offer so that members have a clear idea of the monetary value of the contract before accepting an offer.

The BT also proposed making the language regarding appointments to GA positions similar to the language of the Unit 1 CA, especially by substituting the term “notice of appointment” for the current “notice of assignment” and by the inclusion in the CA of a contract letter modelled on the Unit 1 letter of appointment. 

All-unit wage and fund proposals

The Bargaining Team also presented to the ER our monetary proposals, including demands for increases to our wage and funds. In recognition of the fact that Bill 124, enacted by the Ontario government in 2019, placed unconstitutional restrictions on CUPE 3903’s right to free collective bargaining in negotiating contracts for the three-year period covering September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2023, we proposed retroactive salary 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. 

We provided justification for the increases in the bargaining survey of union members in which 96%, 85%, and 76% of Units 1, 2, and 3, respectively, indicated they are struggling with the cost of living and 56%, 60%, and 44%, respectively, stated they have to supplement their income with other employment.

Finally, we proposed significant increases to funds that had been identified as needing significant increases, including the Ways and Means, Trans, SASSF, and Childcare funds, as well as increases to other all-units funds that would allow them to keep pace with inflation. The ER has not commented on these proposals to date.

All proposals presented by both sides can be found on the CUPE 3903 website. 

All-unit benefits proposals

The benefits package includes increases to existing benefits with an addition to orthodontics, endodontics, and major dental procedures for members and dependents.There is also a new preventative care article which would add $500 for fitness, health or wellness equipment.

The union’ sall-units benefits proposals to the employer found here. 

Upcoming Bargaining Meetings with the Employer

CUPE 3903 is committed to open bargaining, which means all members are welcome to attend bargaining meetings (either in person or via Zoom). The next few meetings with the employer will take place on the following dates:

Friday 22 September, 10 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Hybrid)

Monday 25 September, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Hybrid)

Wednesday 27 September, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Online, via Zoom).

Further details on the in-person locations for the hybrid meetings and Zoom links for all meetings will be included in a an upcoming bargaining report (and also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

Upcoming 3903 Bargaining Team Meetings

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

Thursday, Sept. 7, 1:00-3:00 p.m. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85827952041?pwd=S3o0S2o0WlEvOHMvUXRaU05NRVlTQT09

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 requests for accommodation, 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.

As September begins, bargaining is ramping up! It has been proven true that if we are going to win the wages and working conditions we deserve, we are going to have fight for it. To get prepared, we are hosting two days of workshops to build the skills and confidence necessary to support bargaining and, if necessary, run an effective strike.

Join us September 18th for THREE different sessions, and again on September 26th for an online session! While the sessions are meant to build into each other, they are also self-contained. If you can only attend a few, we’d love to see you there! There will be snacks, be sure to indicate any dietary restrictions or accessibility needs in your registration.

September 18th 

Picketing and Other Strike Strategies
1:00-2:00 PM
YUGSA boardroom (425 Student Centre)

This session is a knowledge-sharing and discussion space about strikes, traditional picketing, and other forms of pressure that can be utilized during a strike. Whether you’ve never been on strike before or have walked the line many times, you have something to contribute to this session. As we discuss how to push the boundaries of traditional picketing, both the tried and true and the fresh perspective are equally valuable!

Please register here for the September 18th sessions.

Responding to Strike Breaking
2:25-3:35 PM
YUGSA boardroom (425 Student Centre)

In an era of increasing labor disputes, it’s crucial to be well-prepared to respond effectively to strike-breaking efforts.  This session is designed for members, seasoned or new, to empower each other with the tools and insights needed to safeguard our labour actions. Join us in discussion on the know-how and strategies necessary to maintain solidarity and unity when face by the stresses of strike breaking. Together we can win.

Please register here for the September 18th sessions.

Planning to Support Bargaining
3:50-5:00pm
YUGSA boardroom (425 Student Centre)

This a creative space for discussion, brainstorming and planning on how we can support our demands in bargaining. Whether this is your first or your tenth bargaining round, you have something to contribute to this session! Do you have a certain skill or experience you think could be fun or helpful during bargaining? All ideas, tactics, and plots are welcome as we collectively make plans for the Fall.

Please register here for the September 18th sessions.

September 26th

Strike Mandate Vote Mobilization
2:00 PM-5:00 pm
ZOOM

Please register here the September 26th session.

This session is all about practical skills to get a strong Strike Mandate Vote! We need to hit the ground running in September. Join this online session to learn more about the nitty gritty details for getting your department ready for the vote, including strategies as tabling, phone banking, departmental walkthroughs and events, and more! Some of these strategies require an in-person presence, but many can be done remotely. No matter your location or comfort level, if you want to get involved with the mobilization effort, there is somewhere you can plug in!

Please register here to receive the Zoom link. There will be live captioning.

For all other accessibility needs, please contact Maija at cupe3903asr@gmail.com

Bargaining Team Report Back

Week of August 21, 2023

In preparation for two meetings with the Employer in the final week of August, the BT finalized its first suite of monetary proposals as well as new proposals related to Unit 3. These proposals were approved by the BT and subsequently by the membership at the GMM on August 24. 

Wage Proposal

Following weeks of research and coordination between the BT, the Wage and Funds Sub-Committee, the Bargaining Research Committee—and drawing on the guidance of membership, staff, and legal counsel—the BT finalized its wage proposal which the membership approved on August 24. The wage proposal includes three main pieces: retroactive wage increases that recover lost wages from the Bill-124 era (2020-2023), new wage increases that would apply to the next collective agreement, and inflation indexation to secure those wage gains against future economic volatility. Retroactive wage increases are desirable because they establish a new baseline that the next collective agreement (2023-2026) would build upon. The specific wage increase amounts reflect the demands expressed by the membership in the bargaining surveys, the combined effects of Bill 124 and inflation on diminishing the real wages of CUPE 3903 members, sky-rocketing cost of living throughout the GTA, and recent successful wage victories by other unions in the sector. 

Funds Proposals

The BT prepared two sets of funds proposals. The first focused on funds that had been identified by CUPE 3903 Financial Officers (i.e., Ways and Means, Extended Health Benefits, Professional Development, Trans, Childcare, and SASSF) as requiring specific increases. Consulting fund usage data reports prepared by Financial Officers and coordinating with fund committees, the BT developed proposals to substantially increase these key funds to accommodate the needs of the membership. In addition, the BT prepared a set of other funds and monetary proposals. These focused on increasing Grant-In-Aid and Graduate Financial Assistance in the same manner and to the same degree as the proposed increases to wages. They also proposed increases to several other funds to respond to the recent inflation (and projected future inflation). 

Unit 3 Proposals

The BT also prepared Unit 3 proposals that were passed by the membership on August 24. These proposals address (1) the lack of financial information in job postings for Unit 3 positions and (2) the fact that GAs currently receive no contract or offer of appointment. These proposals would provide more transparency and financial clarity for Unit 3 members. 

Upcoming Bargaining Meetings with the Employer

CUPE 3903 is committed to open bargaining, which means all members are welcome to attend bargaining meetings (either in person or via Zoom). The in-person location for these meetings with the Employer is 519 Kaneff Tower on the Keele Campus; see below for details about accessibility. Here are the next few meetings with the employer (also shared on 3903’s website calendar):

Tuesday, August 29 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 to 5:00 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vdeyrrz8tHtScfk2N4sQDoNZnj_6vm7ke

Thursday, August 31 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 to 5:00 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvc-ihqD4tH924nZSvkKGhbZCA85G0_q96

There is a one-hour break between noon and 1:00 pm. 

Upcoming 3903 Bargaining Team Meetings

As always, we encourage members to participate in our regular bi-weekly bargaining team meetings (without the Employer), all on Zoom. Here are the next few bargaining team meetings (also shared on 3903’s website’s calendar):

Tuesday, August 29, 9:00 – 10 am

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vdeyrrz8tHtScfk2N4sQDoNZnj_6vm7ke

Thursday, August 31, 9:00 – 10 am

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvc-ihqD4tH924nZSvkKGhbZCA85G0_q96

Accessibility of Bargaining Meetings 

For the regular twice-weekly 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 requests for accommodation, 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.

Kaneff 519, the location for 3903 bargaining on August 1, has some interior doors that are not power assisted. If you require support with any doors, please email the 3903 Equity Officer (cupe3903equity@gmail.com) to let us know when you will be arriving, so that someone can come out to meet you at the elevator on the 5th floor. All gender, single user, accessible washrooms are located on the same floor. Masking in the meeting room is encouraged.

Nominations to reopen for vacancies on the Bargaining Team

Interested in joining the bargaining team for Units 1, 2, and 3? There are currently two vacancies:

Unit 1 (1 vacancy)

Unit 3 (1 vacancy)

Nominations for these positions will reopen Sept. 5 at 12:00 p.m.

The online NOMINATION FORM is available HERE; the form will close at the end of the nomination period (Sept 19th, 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 June 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 September 5 and will close two weeks later on September 19 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