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Dear Isabelle and Members of MSVU Senior Leadership and Board of Governors,

As a Mount Part-Time Academic and member of the Halifax community, I am writing in response to the Campus-Wide Bulletin circulated earlier today. I found this message both a disappointing breach of good faith bargaining and a disingenuous representation of the offers currently on the table.

I ask that you please take a moment to hear me out. As many of you know, the Mount’s part-time faculty are among the lowest paid in the country. We design and teach over half of the university’s courses, support and mentor your students, and contribute meaningfully to the intellectual and cultural life of this institution. Yet we do so with little to no job security and for a per-course stipend that ranks near the bottom nationally.

The Board’s decision to present its offer in percentages obscures a stark and persistent pay disparity between Mount contract faculty and our peers across the country. Our current per-course stipend is 29.59% below the 2024 national median Step One stipend of $8,058. The raise you have proposed for 2025 would still leave us 11.14% below that national average. Meanwhile, the Local’s request for a flat-rate stipend of $8,435—which you have characterized as unreasonable—remains 11% below the national average flat-rate stipend ($9,371 across 18 Canadian institutions). These figures show that our bargaining team is asking for a modest and long-overdue correction after years of undervalued teaching labour. This correction is all the more urgent as Halifax’s cost of living continues to rise, now ranking among the highest in the country.

As a proud member of this community, I believe deeply in the Mount’s publicly stated values and its social justice mission. Yet it is difficult to reconcile that mission with an employer that continues to extract as much labour as possible for as little pay as possible from its most precarious academic employees. Like most of my colleagues, I hold a PhD, have completed postdoctoral research, published in my field, and have a strong record of research, teaching and mentorship. Unlike my full-time colleagues, however, I lack access to a regular office, job security, health benefits, and pension contributions. My income is not sufficient to meet the cost of living without ongoing financial strain and debt.

I love teaching Mount students—they are among the hardest-working, most engaged, and most conscientious students I’ve encountered in my career. Like so many of my part-time colleagues, I’m deeply devoted to undergraduate teaching and learning. But I also know that we cannot give our students the time and attention they deserve when we’re stretched so thin—many of us, myself included, are commuting between multiple teaching jobs just to piece together a living. We do this work without the security of an institutional home, reapplying for our own positions term after term. We do it because we care deeply about post-secondary teaching and about our students’ learning. But I, like many of my colleagues, am increasingly exhausted and disheartened by the sustained exploitation and institutional disrespect that come with being treated as second-class academics.

You describe the Board’s offer as “reasonable,” yet it includes no pay increase for 2024 and continues to signal that the Mount undervalues the most vulnerable members of its academic community. I stand firmly and proudly with our bargaining committee in their refusal to recommend any agreement that fails to demonstrate genuine respect for the essential contributions of part-time academics; all of whom are highly trained professional educators who are central to the Mount’s teaching mission and to the success of its students.

We are indispensable to the functioning of this institution, and we expect a fair deal that reflects that fact.

Sincerely,
Larissa Atkison, PhD
Part-Time Academic
Mount Saint Vincent University

I have never picketed before and was not sure what to expect when I showed up last Monday for the first of three full days of picketing. I’m an introverted person and had planned to mostly keep to myself, but I quickly found that it was much more enjoyable than I had expected. Yes, I did still keep my earbuds in so that I could take a break from talking and listen to an audiobook every now and then. And yes, I did spend more time by myself than others did so that I wouldn’t get too overwhelmed. But it was genuinely a positive experience, despite the biting winds, the signs blowing away, and the cars that didn’t seem to notice when we tried to cross the street!

On Monday, I donned a pink CUPE hat, pulled a pink CUPE t-shirt over my hoodie, wrapped a warm pink fleece scarf around my neck, and picked up a pink CUPE flag and started walking back and forth along the street. I chatted with colleagues in my department that I hadn’t seen for years, as after Covid, most of the part-time profs started to only come to campus just for the hours they were teaching. I rediscovered the camaraderie I didn’t know I had missed in talking to them. However, I hadn’t appreciated just how physically draining it would be to walk for five hours straight. So I took a colleague’s advice and brought my own chair on Tuesday. I’ll admit, I felt a little awkward bringing a camping chair on the bus Tuesday morning, but it was definitely worth it.

I started Tuesday by making my own sign. I’m no artist – I successfully avoided doing most crafts when my children were little by encouraging them to craft with relatives! – but I channeled my inner artist nonetheless. My sign said “Part-time profs teach (at least) 1/5 of SMU classes” to highlight the fact that part-time faculty are an integral part of SMU and most students are likely affected by this strike given how many courses part-time faculty teach. I felt a little self-conscious sitting down for much of the day, but I knew I didn’t want to have the same hip and leg pain as the previous day so I held my sign down to avoid it blowing into my face (a futile endeavour to be honest!) and smiled and waved at passing cars and students. We sang and danced to music to keep our spirits high – and ourselves warm – and appreciated the students who took pink scarves and small flags and pins to wear in support.

By Wednesday, I was getting into the groove of picketing and felt a lot more comfortable talking to other profs from different departments and swapping stories. So many of us had similar experiences of loving what we do, but not loving the working conditions or the pay. It was encouraging when people from other local unions stopped by to show solidarity, and it felt like a collective hug to know others were rooting for us. As introverted as I am, it was a lovely experience, and it felt really good to be doing something so important with so many other passionate and thoughtful people. It’s not always easy to be on the picket line, but the people on the picket line with me those three days made me feel welcome and valued. And ultimately, that’s what we all want to feel. 

I’ve taught the same course every single year at SMU for over a decade but every single year I have to apply for it again and hope I’ll be able to teach it again. I just wish I could have some job security and could actually plan ahead!

While I have a lot of control over how I run the courses I teach, I have no control at all over whether I’ll be able to teach in any given semester or what courses I’ll be able to teach. That uncertainty is really hard to deal with as I’m the primary source of income for my family.

Although I’m a “part-time professor”, this is my full-time job! I have cobbled together a full-time job in terms of hours by teaching multiple courses each semester across SMU, MSVU and Dal but there are no “full-time” benefits that go with it.

If I wasn’t so passionate about teaching my students, I would definitely find a different job – one with job security, benefits like health insurance, and higher pay!

Being a professor is a source of passion and joy for me. But it’s also a source of stress as I work contract-to-contract and can never plan ahead more than a few months as I don’t know what I’ll be teaching or where!

I’m on strike because students deserve to be taught by professors who are being paid fairly for their work.

Being paid low wages to teach a university course disincentivizes part-time professors to put in a lot of work and really make the class amazing! I still DO put in lots of work, but it ultimately means my “hourly pay” is way below minimum wage. If I put in 1000 extra hours of work or 0 extra hours of work, I still get paid the same. (Poorly!) It would be lovely to just focus on how to have the best course possible, without always worrying about how little I’m being paid to do the work.

Originally posted as COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 101 by Jeff McKeil (Canadian Association of University Teachers) in 2016

2025 Additions by Aiden Farrant

Edited by Sophie J. Boardman

Navigating the different stages of the bargaining process can be challenging, especially for precarious workers like those in Local 3912 who may be used to legislation and procedures from other provincial or international districts. This article is to serve as a primer, highlighting key tasks for the Local’s Negotiating Committee, its volunteer support, and the Employer at crucial stages. We hope it will help you, our Members, engage constructively when you come out to support the Local.

What is Collective Bargaining?

Collective bargaining is a process for identifying and resolving conflicts over the terms and conditions of employment. It is a structured conversation about what academic staff really do, and about how their work should be recognized and compensated.

The process by which the Employer and the Union come to an agreement over terms relating to the workplace, and can include but is not limited to:

• pay rates 
• seniority and hiring 
• duties of work
• working conditions and safety concerns
• workspaces and job materials
• benefits and pensions
• academic freedoms
• training opportunities
• relationships between Supervisors and Employees

The Bargaining process is prescribed by the Trade Union Act in Nova Scotia, and has been intentionally designed so that what is finally agreed to through the process of good faith bargaining is what the parties themselves agreed to, based on the particular working environment and employment relationship.

The effectiveness of the Local at ensuring the Employer is compelled to offer ‘concessions’, or agree to what the Negotiating Committee proposes, is proportional to its collective organization, which amplifies Members’ voices. Collective Bargaining is fundamentally a power relationship in which each side’s relative power is leveraged at the table to achieve their goals.

How does Collective Bargaining work?

The process generally follows these steps:

• Preparation:

In this stage, the Local and the Employer appoint their respective Negotiating Committees. In the Local’s case, this happens at a Unit Meeting (either special or regular annual) where one or two members at large are elected to committee seats, along with the Unit Vice-President. The Local’s President and National Servicing Representative are also included on Negotiating Committees, the latter serving as Chief Negotiator.

The Negotiating Committees then solicit feedback from the Membership about what key bargaining issues are. To ensure and enhance the Union’s collective strength, Negotiating Committees work hard to fairly represent the interests of all its membership and ensure that improved working conditions are being sought for all. Employers will often pit working classifications against each other (for example, Part-Time Faculty against Teaching Assistants), therefore Negotiating Committees must strive to identify unifying issues that can unite these classifications for more effective negotiations.

Member feedback is then crafted into a proposed Collective Agreement (also called “proposals” when described as specific articles of a proposed Collective Agreement). Depending on bargaining timelines, these proposals may be presented to the membership for approval. Often member feedback is received relatively recently before proposals are crafted, so Negotiating Committees proceed directly to exchanging them with the Employer.

• At the Table:

Once proposals are drafted, it is time for the Negotiating Committee to meet its counterparts from the Employer and exchange proposed Collective Agreements. However, each team must first come to an agreement on ground rules they will use when bargaining (e.g., meeting location, cost sharing, identification of each chief spokesperson, etc.). Occasionally, one side will refuse to provide meeting dates or reply to correspondence in a timely manner. In these situations, a request to the Labour Board generally compels the belligerent side to cooperate.

Once procedure is established, each side now takes a turn making an opening statement outlining overall goals and their respective written proposals, which can include supporting verbal explanations and documentation. Generally, financial proposals (those relating to wages, pensions, and benefits) are held for last, as they often cause the most disagreement between the Union and Employers. The Negotiating Committees move through proposals systematically, looking for areas of agreement and compromise. The Negotiating Committees might withdraw from the bargaining table for brief breaks, called “caucuses”, to discuss where compromises can be made without the other team hearing. 

• Conciliation:

If the Employer and the Union cannot reach an agreement that the Union believes its members will support, such as when the Union is asked to give up a proposal deemed non-negotiable by its Membership, then the negotiations are at an impasse. In this case, both parties can agree to move into conciliation, where a neutral third party called a “Conciliator” is appointed by the Labour Board. 

The Conciliator meets with both parties and reviews the outstanding proposals before drafting a report. The report contains suggestions for updated proposals that the Conciliator deems fair for both parties. However, the Conciliator’s report may still not support proposals deemed non-negotiable by the membership, prompting further action.

• Job Action:

Although not formally a component of bargaining, labour stoppages and other forms of organized striking give increased leverage to Negotiating Committees helping them ensure favourable tentative Collective Agreements for their members. Once conciliation has been attempted, a Unit can call on its membership to deliver a Strike Mandate by holding a Strike Vote. According to the Trade Union Act, those who will be affected by a strike are eligible to cast a ballot in a Strike Vote. CUPE 3912 has interpreted this in the past and present to mean those who have active contracts at the time of the strike vote. More than half of those with current contracts have to vote YES to support a strike for the Local to achieve a Strike Mandate. If a member chooses not to vote, this is counted as a NO vote. . 

If the vote is successful, showing that the Membership is ready to support the Negotiating Committee with job action, then final bargaining attempts can occur. In these final sessions, the Negotiating Committee can flaunt the strike mandate and promise the Employer a major headache if a strike is called.

If these final sessions aren’t fruitful, then the Local can call a strike, provided certain timelines in the Trade Union Act are respected. During a strike, the Negotiating Committee continues to meet with the Employer. Once both a satisfactory tentative Collective Agreement, as well as a Return To Work Agreement (which covers issues of lost wages during the strike, outstanding work, and other conditions relating to restarting regular duties), the strike can be called off. 

• Ratification:

Once both the Negotiating Committee and the Employer are satisfied with a tentative Collective Agreement, it is brought to the membership for approval in a process known as “ratification”. Here, if a majority of those who vote (not those eligible to vote like in the Strike Vote) support the tentative Collective Agreement, it is ratified. If the ratification vote fails, then the Negotiating Committee returns to the table. Along with job action (i.e. striking), presenting a tentative Collective Agreement to the membership and having it be voted down resoundingly is a strategy that Negotiating Committees can use to coerce more favourable outcomes from the Employer.

How can the Membership support bargaining efforts?

Throughout the bargaining process, Members’ voices are given opportunities to be heard. In fact, what drives negotiations are the needs and wants of the Membership, as the Negotiating Committee is only empowered to ask for what the Membership wants when crafting proposals, and can only commit to staying at the table so long as they have Membership support (through having a mobilized membership, having a strike mandate, having ratification vote fail strategically, etc.). 

So what is the Union actually asking of Members? Well, during the preparation phase, the Negotiating Committee needs to hear any and all perspectives on the workplace. That means answering surveys, attending town halls, corresponding with your VP and Steward, and letting the Union know where they can advocate for improvement in your working conditions. Often in Local 3912’s case, specific improvements are already covered by the previous Collective Agreement, which is simply not being followed. In that case the VP and/or Steward can help solve issues with a formal grievance, but that’s another article.

While the Negotiating Committee is at the table, it still needs Members’ attention. The Committee will periodically update the membership with what compromises it might have to make, and ask the membership to narrow in on what its non-negotiables will be (i.e. what the Membership will go on strike to ensure it gains). New proposals can’t be added at this time, that’s a sign of bargaining in bad faith, but member testimonials can help ensure the Employer understands the need for specific proposals. 

The time for major support from members comes during Job Action. Participation in a strike vote is a must to ensure a Strike Mandate is gained. Once it is, escalation to work stoppages and refusal to be “replacement workers” (formerly known as “scabs”) who continue to perform their workplace duties is crucial to ensuring the Employer understands the importance of its unionized workers. Here, participating however you can in picketing, mobilization and outreach, or simply refusing to work until the Employer agrees to negotiate constructively and agree to the Union’s proposals is essential to ensuring a Collective Agreement with improved protections for all members.

We need your support to ensure that the exploitation of precarious workers ceases. Your Local advocates hard for fair wages, job security, reasonable duties, and a safe environment. With your help, we can ensure that this vision becomes a reality. Please contact your VP and/or Steward for how you can help with your Unit’s current bargaining stage and direction. 

If you have more questions about Strike votes and Striking, head to these FAQ pages on our website: 

• Strike Vote FAQ
• Strike FAQ

CUPE NS Convention 2025 Report
Submitted by Lauren McKenzie
July 4, 2025 

CUPE NS is a political branch of the union and advocates for sectors and workers in our province. There are more than 22,000 members of CUPE NS from long term care, hospitals, municipalities, schools, airlines, post secondary and more. In March, 2025, Nan McFadgen, president of CUPE NS announced her retirement and I was immediately concerned about the fate of CUPE members in NS as Nan was such an incredible force and leader. In April, 2025, CUPE 3912 member Christine Saulnier informed me that she planned to run for the position and I felt an incredible sense of relief and optimism about the future of CUPE in our province. 

The executive first passed a motion to support Christine’s candidacy, then passed a special budget at a general membership meeting so that the local could send a full complement of 12 delegates to campaign for Christine at convention. We did this by handing out buttons and flyers and aiming to connect with CUPE members and locals from across the province to share information about our candidate and to ask them to wear a mutton and to vote for Christine. Over the course of convention we had countless conversations with delegates and made real progress in getting Christine’s name and platform out. 

There were only a few opportunities for Christine to speak to convention – one of those was the officer breakfast and the election forum. Christine spoke passionately about the issues facing workers in Nova Scotia and her knowledge and experience in all of the sectors was undeniable. She presented so well and we heard from many delegates that they felt Christine would be an excellent leader of CUPE NS. Local 3912 also put two resolutions forward for convention and both were successfully voted on and passed at convention. I have included those below. 

Ultimately, Alan Linkletter won the presidency. Alan is a long standing CUPE NS workers from Healthcare and comes from the largest local represented at convention. Alan was the frontrunner in the election, he was VP of CUPE NS and is well known through his work as a member facilitator. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to persuade enough members to vote for our candidate who was less well known in the provincial space. 

However, the convention was a real success. We now have several 3912 members who are on provincial committees and I was elected the alternate VP of central Nova Scotia. We made the biggest showing at convention in the history of the local and are now represented on committees and at the executive level. As our sector continues to face increasing financial and organizational challenges, it is crucial that the voices of our members are included and heard. I am extremely proud of the effort our delegation put forth and the way members of 3912 were represented at the provincial level.

CUPE NS Convention Resolutions – Passed 

Title: Support for CUPE Post-Secondary Education Workers in NS Amidst Postsecondary Education Crisis 

CUPE Nova Scotia WILL 

Commit financial and staff resources to raise public awareness of the value of CUPE Post-Secondary Education Workers in NS work and to support efforts to fight postsecondary education cuts and protect these members’ jobs. 

BECAUSE 

• postsecondary education in Nova Scotia is in crisis, exacerbated by federal policies impacting international students, chronic underfunding by both federal and provincial governments, and increasing threats of political interference from the provincial government; 
• this crisis has led to imminent job losses for CUPE 3912 members, with hundreds of course cuts expected and fewer positions available for precariously employed academic workers. 

Title: Support the Justice for Workers workers-first campaign 

CUPE Nova Scotia WILL 

• Endorse and join the Justice for Workers campaign for emergency measures that put workers and communities first, and that leave no one behind; 
• Communicate this decision to other like-minded community organizations, union locals, or central labour bodies; 
• Campaign for these measures to elected officials; 
• Help with photocopying posters and leaflets to support the campaign; and 
• Select at least one person to attend monthly Justice for Workers NS online organizing meetings. 

BECAUSE 

• Tariffs will result in dramatic job losses, which will not be confined to trade and extraction sectors; 
• Access to Employment Insurance (EI) system has been cut by successive federal governments and today only about 35% of unemployed workers receive regular benefits.
• Investment in public services and infrastructure not only make life more affordable for everyone, it also creates jobs and therefore helps the economy in periods of economic crisis. 
• We need a worker-first agenda that will protect jobs and strengthen our social safety net.

CUPE NS Convention (May 25-May 28, 2025) report

Erica Fischer, CUPE 3912 SMU VP-PT Faculty

After reading all the reports that have been submitted by the other delegates who attended this convention, I feel I don’t have more to add. However, since I’m required to submit a report for attending this event I will write about why I agree our participation at this convention was valuable and why it is important to keep sending as many delegates as possible and not just a few to these events.

A couple of reports mentioned that CUPE 3912 has not been traditionally represented at these conventions. That is not the case. The Local has regularly sent one or two delegates to provincial and national conventions for years except during COVID (from 2020 to 2022.) CUPE, I believe, only cancelled events in 2020, but our Local decided not to send delegates to any event in person in 2021 and 2022 because of the pandemic.)  In 2023,  CUPE 3912 started attending these conventions again when we sent several delegates to the CUPE NS Women’s convention in Truro. Later that year, three or four members (TAs from the Dalhousie bargaining unit) were invited to participate at a panel at the CUPE NS Convention in Sydney, NS to talk about their experience during the DAL strike the previous year. That same year, we sent what we considered a large delegation of 5 delegates to an out-of-province event: the CUPE National Convention in Quebec City. In 2024, since the CUPE NS Convention was held locally, we were also able to send 5 delegates again. As a delegate to these last two conventions (CUPE National 2023 and CUPE NS 2024) and from previous reports submitted by delegates who attended other conventions in previous years, I know that our delegates have participated actively at these events by speaking to resolutions, voting on constitutional amendments, resolutions and motions, and interacting and establishing relationships with members of other Locals as well as with our own delegates with whom we don’t normally interact in person or outside executive meetings. 

What was different this time around was that we sent to this convention our largest delegation ever (12 delegates) well prepared and with a clear goal: supporting and canvassing for Christine Saulnier, one of our members, to be elected to the highest position at the provincial level: President of CUPE NS. In order to be successful, we did a lot of preparation beforehand, especially Christine who started contacting other Locals and attending their meetings to gain their support and get their endorsement a couple of months before the convention. In April and May, a couple of these Locals joined us at some of the meetings we held in preparation for the convention.  These preparation meetings were something new for our Local and I think we should continue having them so delegates know what is expected of them at these events. 

The coalition building that Christine started in March didn’t stop after she received the endorsements of some Locals for her campaign. As it had been mentioned in other reports, during convention all of us continue fostering relationships with other Locals and with those who had already endorsed Christine. All this work before and during convention paid off in building our presence and getting some of us elected to committees and Lauren as an alternate for a regional VP position. In order to keep the momentum our Local has gained and to be able to organize our sector and be included as a sector at the next CUPE NS convention, it is important that we continue growing and strengthening our relationship with these and other Locals regularly and not just in preparation for a convention.

For this convention, we also submitted two resolutions for which our delegates were asked in advance to be prepared to speak to (in the past I think we have just endorsed resolutions the post-secondary national sector or other Locals have submitted and asked for our support.) One of the resolutions we submitted this time was specific to our Local and the other one was to support Justice for Workers, which would ultimately support all kinds of workers. Several of our delegates spoke in favour of these resolutions and of others submitted by other Locals especially those coming from education workers. However, speaking to our own resolution about our sector was an excellent opportunity to make all the attending delegates aware of the precariousness of the working conditions in post-secondary education and more specifically of the issues and precarity members in Local 3912 are facing. More importantly, all of CUPE 3912 delegates who spoke to any of these and other resolutions on the convention floor shared their personal experiences in their workplaces, so everyone attending (delegates, staff, guests, national and provincial officers) heard them. These stories had been shared during one-on-one conversations at this and in past conventions, but now having several delegates stand up and go to the mics to broadcast these stories is what I believe really made our Local visible and present in the mind of the rest of the attendees.

Our large number of delegates was also very visible because on the first day all of us were wearing pink CUPE 3912 t-shirts, as well as buttons supporting Christine, and we all sat together as a bloc. The rest of the days we all continued sitting together, wearing our buttons, and several of us continued wearing CUPE 3912 t-shirts. In the past, some of us had worn these t-shirts, but we haven’t sat as a bloc because it’s not easy finding several places available for more than 2 people to sit together at these events. This time, however, instead of sitting wherever we could find a free spot (there didn’t seem to be enough for all of us), we requested tables and chairs for the whole group to sit together. 

It also gave the Local great visibility the fact that Lauren, our Local’s president, was asked to introduce the National President Mark Hancock as one of the speakers at the convention, and that Samantha Williams, the CUPE 3912 VP for SMU TAs, was awarded the Sean Foley CUPE NS Health and Safety Award. Our Local had nominated Sam for her contributions in fighting for accessibility and safety for all SMU TAs, and the full letter that was submitted as part of her nomination was read on the convention floor by the members of the CUPE NS Health and Safety committee. This was a big surprise that none of us was expecting. Since Sam was not in attendance, Aiden, who was one of the members who nominated her, went to the podium wearing his bright pink CUPE 3912 t-shirt to receive the award on Sam’s behalf and say a few words. 

For all this (and much more), I believe our participation at this event was very successful. We achieved many things we were not even considering we could achieve that started by engaging and mobilizing our own members to attend this convention. The vast majority of the delegates our Local sent had never been to a CUPE Convention (75% to be exact.) I’m happy to have been part of this delegation. It was a great learning experience for everyone, including those of us who had attended other conventions.

CUPE NS 2025 Convention 

Delegate Report 

Wenceslao Amezcua | June, 2025 

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend the CUPE NS 2025 Convention—a gathering that brought together union members from across the province to discuss key issues, share strategies, and shape the future of our collective work. 

It was my first time attending a convention of this scale, and the experience was both eye-opening and energizing. From learning about union governance and bylaws to connecting with delegates from other locals, the convention gave me valuable insights and practical tools that I’m sure will be useful in my role as an active member of our union unit. 

What follows is a reflection on some of the key takeaways and meaningful moments from my time at the event. 

1. Deep Learning in Governance, Laws & Bylaws 

Even when I wasn’t actively speaking on the floor, I absorbed a wealth of procedural and legal knowledge. 

• I learned how constitutional amendments are debated and passed—from both logistical and legal perspectives. 
• I also gained a clearer understanding of how resolutions—like anti-privatization or land acknowledgements—are introduced, debated, and ultimately woven into the union’s bylaws and future campaigns. 
• Overall, the event gave me the confidence to bring that knowledge back to our unit, helping us strengthen our understanding of union law and empowering our members. 

2. Learning from Other Locals’ Experiences 

Talking with delegates from education, healthcare, and municipal sectors revealed both the challenges and successes they’ve faced:

• Education locals, for example, shared their struggles around securing safety protocols and standardizing wages at the provincial bargaining table. 
• Various committees highlighted creative tools—like Motion Meetings—to improve communication and voting processes. These are ideas I’m excited to bring back and suggest for our own unit. 
• These conversations gave me practical insights into broader labour strategies and legislative frameworks affecting workers across the province. 

3. Supporting My Own Unit 

By attending and contributing—even quietly—I ensured our unit was represented: ● I supported resolutions that aligned with our concerns. 

• I backed motions from other locals that helped amplify our collective voice. 
• I built our presence by being visible, engaged, and active—strengthening our reputation within CUPE NS and CUPE National. 
• I also supported and campaigned for Christine Saulniere. Although she didn’t achieve the result we hoped for, we showed unity and put forward an impressive team effort—one I hope we can build on in the future. 

This experience helped reinforce that our unit is serious, active, and ready to collaborate in broader coalitions. 

4. The Power of Networking 

The convention was incredibly valuable for networking. 

• I met CUPE staff, regional VPs, and other local leaders—many of whom were pleasantly surprised and appreciative that our unit was represented. 
• I connected with over 15 peers from different sectors and joined ongoing initiatives like mailing lists and online forums.
• One of the most meaningful connections, though, was with people inside our own unit. I had the chance to spend time, talk, and share moments with members of 3912 I hadn’t really connected with before. 

Those internal and external connections were just as impactful and valuable to me. 

In conclusion, attending the CUPE NS 2025 Convention was a key experience for me—not just in representing our unit, but in gaining the knowledge, tools, and relationships that will support us well beyond the event. I observed, listened, learned, and supported initiatives that will strengthen workers across Nova Scotia. 

The convention renewed my commitment to growing our unit’s efforts, learning from others, and taking coordinated action—both locally and provincially—to protect and advance our members’ rights. This convention wasn’t just an event—it was an experience of growth, solidarity, and strategic preparation.

CUPE NS Convention 2025  Report –Delegate

Julie Quinn

May 25 – 28, 2025

Contents

I. Introduction 

• Why we were there; overview

II. Main Points

1. What did I learn/take home from the Convention?
   1. An appreciation for diversity
   2. Insight/knowledge about the struggles and victories of other locals
   3. The power that we have as a collective
2. How can what I learn benefit CUPE 3912?
   1. Sharing experience with other locals and promoting awareness of 3912
   2. Opportunity to contribute our voice in voting and speaking on resolutions and amendments
   3. Electing members to committees and important positions
3.  Would I and/or the Local benefit from attending the Convention next year?
   1. Continued presence and voice in CUPE NS
   2. Awareness of issues that we may not have known about before
   3. Opportunities for delegates to see what happens when all these locals band together (raise awareness of their concerns and ours)

III. Thanks and Acknowledgements

I. Introduction

From Sunday, May 25th, to Wednesday, May 28th, I had the privilege of being one of a 12-member team of delegates sent from CUPE 3912 to the CUPE NS 2025 Convention, held in Membertou, NS. Our chief goal as a delegation was to campaign on behalf of our excellent presidential candidate, Christine Saulnier. While Christine was, in my humble opinion, the superior candidate, ultimately the position went to Alan Linkletter (CUPE 8920). While we were all disappointed that Christine didn’t get elected, there were nevertheless many positive outcomes from our presence there. During our many conversations and interactions with other delegates, we had multiple opportunities to learn and expand our own knowledge while forging meaningful connections.  I am strongly convinced that our presence at the convention not only raised awareness of the struggles and contributions of our local specifically, but ultimately had a lasting impact on the tone of the conference as a whole.

In the following paragraphs, I will answer three main questions: 

• what did I learn/take home from my experience at the Convention?
• how can what I learn benefit CUPE 3912, and 
• would CUPE 3912 benefit from sending delegates to the next annual CUPE NS Convention (2026)?

II. Main Points

II.1 What did I learn/take home from the Convention? 

The first thing that impressed me was the sheer diversity of locals gathered under the “CUPE NS” collective. Indeed we had members in our own cohort representing the Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia (Local 4745), as well as members from the Adsum Association for Women and Children (Local  4291). My favorite part of campaigning was the opportunity to meet members from different locals and share with them our mutual struggles. For example, it was great to learn from Local 4745 members that they had just successfully negotiated for a pension plan to be added to their Collective Agreement. As another example, during the banquet on Monday evening, I sat with members from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Outside Workers (Local 759). They shared how the local has been fighting to make sure that member services are not contracted out by the government to non-unionized workers, and how those members responsible for highway snow removal had just negotiated for the right to have some relief time (time off) even during extended snow events. The folks I talked to were interested in turn to hear about some of the issues our own local faces. This kind of sharing fosters understanding as well as a shared sense of purpose between locals.

As the Convention progressed, it was somewhat awe-inspiring to realize what we can do when we share our struggles and work together for justice for all workers. One highlight of the conference that I would like to mention here was the opportunity we were given on Tuesday to picket Sydney City Hall in support of the Home Care Workers (Local 4354), who have been working for four years to negotiate a fair and equitable bargaining contract.  One of the things that struck me during that afternoon was the support and awareness generated in passers-by, most of whom slowed down their cars to read the signs, and many of whom honked loudly to show their support. Hopefully the members of the government inside the City Hall noticed this too!

II.2. How can what I(we) learn(ed) benefit CUPE 3912?

As mentioned under the previous heading, it is always useful to realize that we are not alone in our fight for employment equity and justice.  We can rejoice in each other’s victories and support one another in our struggles. Our presence at the Convention also gave us the opportunity to raise awareness about our local and share some of the issues facing our members. In terms of sharing CUPE 3912’s accomplishments and struggles, many of the people I talked to were surprised to learn about the stark realities and challenges that we face as academic members (e.g., no job security, no benefits, no pension). The conversations and connections we forged as a delegation helped to dispel the myth that as an “academic or university-oriented” local, we come from a place of privilege (see the last sentence about “no job security, no benefits, no pension”…). This helps us to dismantle stereotypes and build solidarity with other locals.

The conduct of our members at the Convention allowed us to promote respect for our local and to establish our right to have a ‘seat at the table’. In fact, before the convention closed, we as a local were able to establish our presence at a few different tables! As recently shared by Sophie Boardman in her excellent June newsletter to the CUPE 3912 members, several of our delegates  were elected to the following Standing Committees:

• Erica Fischer, VP PT SMU, new member of the Political Action Committee
• Larissa Atkison, VP PT Dal, new member of the Education Committee
• Sophie J. Boardman, Communications Officer, young worker member of the Global Justice Committee

It is anticipated that these members will champion the goals and concerns of Local 3912 in these committees. Additionally, our own local president, Lauren McKenzie was elected as alternate regional Vice President!

We were also able to make our presence felt with our votes (and often our voices) on several constitutional amendments and timely resolutions that were dealt with during the Convention. Some of the important resolutions that passed during the Convention included:

• Proposals aimed at supporting basic human rights which included addressing the housing crisis, and protecting the rights of marginalised people (e.g., supporting the Centre for Migrant Worker’s Rights Nova Scotia).
• several related proposals aimed at addressing the very real problem of violence in the work place – in particular, viiolence experienced by workers and students in our grade schools. I will comment further on these resolutions in my final point discussing why I think it is important to continues to send CUPE 3912 members to participate in future CUPE NS conventions.

Importantly, our Local 3912 successfully proposed two resolutions: one involving CUPE NS members in actively contributing to the Justice for Workers Campaign, and a proposal “to commit financial and staff resources to raise public awareness of the value of CUPE Post-Secondary Education Workers in NS work and to support efforts to fight post-secondary education cuts and protect these members’ jobs”. I think you’ll agree that passing these resolutions directly benefits the Local!

II.3. Would I and/or the Local benefit from attending the Convention next year?

The short answer is yes – a thousand times yes! Most of the reasons I have already discussed in this short document. First of all, I hope that this and other delegate reports have demonstrated the relevance and urgent necessity of maintaining a continued presence and voice in the goals and work for employment justice being championed by CUPE NS. Secondly, I strongly believe that future delegates from our local would benefit greatly by having the opportunity to see what can happen when a diverse collective of small locals band together to support concerns that we all share. Finally (and this one is very personal for me), future delegates would benefit from the chance to talk and engage with members of other locals, so that they can learn our issues and we can gain an awareness of the success and struggles faced by our fellow workers (some of which we may not have known about before). Much of what I saw and heard from this conference has impacted me deeply. In particular, I will not soon forget the stories shared by classroom support staff and others about the frequency and intensity of violence they routinely experience in the workplace. As part-time faculty, I’ve had my fair share of financial hardships and lack of professional respect, but I have never been afraid for my personal safety in the classroom. Witnessing the accounts of other members has challenged my naivety and given me a renewed passion for justice and safety for all of us. Interestingly,  on the  morning of the day I finished writing this report, I was downtown and saw a bus drive by which sported a giant slogan that read: “Everyone has the right to feel safe at work.” I couldn’t agree more!

In conclusion, I believe that Christine Saulnier, in her letter of thanks sent to delegate members, summed up the advantages of our delegation to the CUPE NS Conference rather well:

While we didn’t win the vote, what we built together was absolutely a win.

We brought energy, ideas, and hope into this race. We showed what leadership rooted in listening, organizing, and action can look like. We sparked important conversations across CUPE Nova Scotia about where we’re headed and how we can grow stronger together. Many of you will now serve on committees, and we even elected the VP alternate for Central from CUPE 3912, who will continue these conversations. 

I am so proud to have connected with locals across the province to have engaged members who hadn’t been involved before. We ran a campaign rooted in values, vision, and respect. We stayed true to who we are and we showed what’s possible.

III. Thanks and Acknowledgements

First, I would like to thank our president, Lauren McKenzie, for spear-heading this convention campaign (you rock!), as well as the 3912 Executive for allowing me the opportunity to act as one of the delegates representing our local at this convention. 

I would also like to thank Christine Saulnier for your leadership and willingness to run for president. It was a privilege to contribute in some small way to your campaign. Christine, your passion, hard work and willingness to put yourself out there (to be vulnerable) have truly been an inspiration. 

Finally, I would like to thank my Car Sisters, Jackie Rodler and Margot Nickerson, for allowing me to be part of their travel team and actually saving my life when I experienced sugar lows (related to diabetes) on the trip down: your compassion, driving skills and supply of treats was deeply appreciated!

CUPE NS 61st Convention

May 25-May 28 2025

Convention Report, Submitted June 25, 2025

Larissa Atkison, VP, Dalhousie Part-Time Instructors

Overview and Key Points

The CUPE Nova Scotia Convention, held in Membertou First Nations, May 25-28, was a valuable opportunity for coalition building within CUPE and strategic advocacy for our Local. Our large delegation allowed for multiple members of our Local to speak to relevant Resolutions, run for election to provincial committees, network and build solidarity across CUPE sectors, and advocate for greater attention to post-secondary labour concerns within CUPE and the province. 

Presentations and Addresses
The Convention featured a number of speakers on topics such as AI and the labour movement, CUPE’s provincial political action strategy, and CUPE National’s new secure email network that CUPE 3912 will be adopting. Danny Cavanaugh, President of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL), delivered an excellent presentation on the first day of Convention that clearly resonated with many delegates. His remarks affirmed the shared values and challenges across sectors and reinforced the importance of cross-union solidarity.

CUPE National President Mark Hancock’s address on day two was an energizing call to action that powerfully framed the political stakes of an engaged labour movement. His account of working with union leaders in Colombia—including one who was recently murdered for resisting political pressure—was a sobering reminder of the ongoing risks faced by labour organizers outside our borders.  Hancock connected these threats to the threat local and international far-right movements pose to the labour movement, making a compelling case for the necessity of a distinctive and united Canada-wide labour movement, with CUPE playing a central leadership role. His message, while heavily politicized, was both impactful and motivational.

One of the most compelling presentations came from Danielle Sampson, CLC Atlantic Regional Director, who shared the innovative work being done to educate, support, and build coalitions among labour activists across the province. I found her talk an inspiring reminder of the resources available outside of the CUPE umbrella to support and empower labour activism in Nova Scotia. 

Local Resolutions and Participation
Our Local successfully passed two important resolutions: one calling for CUPE’s support of the postsecondary sector in resisting Bill 12 and raising awareness of the widespread precarity among our sector’s workers; and another supporting the Justice for Workers campaign led by Christine Saulnier. I spoke in favour of the postsecondary resolution, alongside Lauren, Lachlan, and Renee from our Local. These interventions—alongside numerous one-on-one conversations throughout the convention—helped raise broad awareness among fellow CUPE members about the specific challenges facing postsecondary workers, including job precarity, lack of pension and health benefits, low wages, limited public visibility, and unstable work conditions.

Leadership and Future Advocacy
In a further step toward amplifying our Local’s voice, I ran for and was elected to the Province-wide Education Committee. I plan to use this platform to advocate for greater inclusion of postsecondary voices in sector caucus meetings (we were not included in the education caucus this year) and broader education-sector organizing. 

While our endorsed candidate, Christine Saulnier, was not elected as President, our Local’s strong showing at the Convention was instrumental in building connections and solidarity, and in establishing ourselves as a leader and advocate within CUPE NS and the provincial labour movement.

Overall, the convention served as a powerful affirmation of the collective strength of organized labour and the strategic role our Local can play in shaping its future direction.

Lachlan Sheldrick, CUPE 3912 VP, NSCAD

I attended the CUPE NS convention as a delegate to participate and support the local’s objectives of increasing our presence and visibility at convention and mobilizing and organizing support for the sector. In these objectives I felt that we succeeded; multiple 3912 members were elected to committee positions, and I along with my fellow delegates spoke in support of motions that deliver resources to supporting the higher education sector. I also spoke in solidarity and support for motions allocating resources to fight cuts in education more broadly. 

I also spoke to a number of CUPE members from a range of sectors – from education to healthcare to public works – about the shared struggles and challenges facing public sector workers in Nova Scotia today. Through these conversations I will admit I was not surprised to hear about the particular challenges faced in other sectors, but I was happy to be able to share the post-secondary landscape with those where were unaware of the challenges we face. From these conversations I feel I was able to spread awareness of the work CUPE 3912 is doing and the urgency of the situation in the post-secondary sector while building solidarity with our comrades in public education and others.

As the VP for NSCAD, I also attended this convention to advocate for the importance of arts in our society and the need for arts education in the modern landscape. I am happy to report that across all sectors, in every conversation I had, I heard unanimous support for the arts. I was able to share and spread recognition of the ways in which arts and arts education benefits society, and the necessity of arts to a healthy society. 

Overall, I feel that this convention was a worthwhile and successful venture, and provided me with not only the opportunity to see the workings of our union’s democracy at work, but afforded me the chance to built connections and solidarity across sectors, and spread awareness and recognition of post-secondary’s struggles broadly as well as the struggle for fair working conditions and proper support for the arts at NSCAD specifically.