Welcome current and new members! If you are new, you can head to our website here to read our FAQs, see events happening on our calendar here, and read this article about collective bargaining updated in August. Dalhousie, MSVU, and SMU PT Faculty, and SMU TAs negotiated a CA in Fall 2025. Please reach out to your VPs if you have concerns or questions. An update about NSCAD will be below.
Keep reading for more information!
Save the Date: AGM on March 23
CUPE 3912 is holding its Annual General Membership Meeting (AGM) on Monday March 23, 2025 at 6:30PM. Elections of officers and committees will take place. More information will be communicated about this soon!
NSCAD Conciliation Update
The bargaining committee and employer met with an appointed conciliator for 8 hours on February 9th, and again on February 10th until late in the evening. During this time, we were able to come to an agreement on most of the items in our proposed collective agreement. However, there remain some key outstanding items on which no agreement was possible. Due to the remaining gulf between the union’s position and that of the employer, Conciliation has ended in an impasse.
NSCAD workers are asking for a fair and equitable hiring procedure and meaningful job security protections — basic standards the union says are necessary in a first contract. Read more in a recent CUPE brief, in this news article, or head to the bargaining page to learn more.
A final meeting has been scheduled for March 3rd in which the union and the employer will make one final attempt to make a deal. If no deal is reached, we will be in a legal strike position.
Call on the President and Senior Management at NSCAD and implore them to reach a fair deal at the last conciliation session on March 3rd!
Call for Testimonials: Impact of Program Cuts
Across our union, positions are being cut impacting our members. We are interested in what these cuts are looking like and how they have impacted members. Please fill out this form if you would like to share your experience with cuts in your department and how that is impacting your career/life.
Responses will be kept anonymous unless you consent in this form. For example, it would say “testimony from a PT Faculty member at SMU”. I am hoping to collate responses into a blog post for the website.
If you are interested, please fill out this Google form linked below by March 1st.
February is African Heritage Month
Every February across Canada and in Nova Scotia Black and African Nova Scotian’s are honoured and celebrated, recognizing that this should be done year round. The 2026 theme for African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia is: “Strength in Unity – Moving Forward with Purpose, Prosperity, Power and Progress.” I encourage you to attend events being hosted at your institution if possible or in the community. You can find a calendar of community events here: https://bccns.com/events/
“Every year CUPE honours a Black ancestor, or someone who is making history today. This year we’re honouring Carol Wall.
Carol Wall was a fearless Black feminist and union leader. She dedicated her life to dismantling barriers, confronting inequality, and inspiring people to engage in courageous, transformative conversations.”
MSVU Unit Meetings and Social
Unit meeting on Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 4pm to 5:15pm
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Following on a request made at the unit meeting in November, this special unit meeting will be to discuss cutbacks at the post secondary level and impact on part time faculty and on students. Please feel free to send examples you would like to discuss to either Katerina or Greg.
Halfway through term, almost Springtime! Social event-Thursday, February 26, 2026 @5:15pm
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After the special unit meeting let’s get together at the Rook to relax, chat and unwind. More detail on offerings will be sent out closer to the event.
Unit meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 from 6pm to 7:30pm
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As required in the by-laws, this meeting will consist of elections to the role of CUPE3912 Vice-President, MSVU Part time Faculty and Steward, MSVU Part time Faculty for the 2026-2027 term.
MSVU and SMU PT Faculty Strike Photos
While the strike newsletters will stay on the website and some photos are shared, the local would like to have a member only accessible way to view photos on the website. If you took any photos or videos during the strike, please email our communications officer. A link and password will be shared once the photos have been received.
CUPE NS 2026 Award, Scholarship & Bursary Applications Open Now
“CUPE Nova Scotia is pleased to circulate the application forms for our 2026 awards, scholarships and bursaries, which can be found by clicking on the individual links below. Please make note of the deadlines for submitting applications, which are specified in the notes for each individual award.”
Find the applications at, novascotia.cupe.ca/2026/02/19/cupe-nova-scotias-2026-award-scholarship-bursary-applications/.
Winter 2026 Edition of the Instructor
Please send your story ideas, letters, articles, news, summaries, pictures and any relevant information for the Membership Spotlight to our communications officer by March 1st, 2026.