News

CUPE 3912 is teaming up with the Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers (ANSUT) and Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) to run a social media campaign during Fair Employment Week.

 Every fall, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) conducts the Make It Fair campaignhttp://makeitfair.caut.ca to raise awareness of precarious employment at universities across Canada. 

From October 21-25, CUPE 3912, ANSUT and DFA would like to highlight on X, Instagram and Facebook the contributions made by our part-time faculty/ICA members. The social media template below is an example of how the graphic would look; the design will also include the CUPE 3912 logo and may have additional changes, but this is the general idea. The post accompanying these ads on social media will contain stats about contract workers, but the idea is to show the value part-time faculty bring, even as they face precarious working conditions.

 If you would like to participate, please send to Erica (VP SMU PT Faculty) the following things:

• Photo (head and shoulders, or an action shot, whichever you prefer)
• Current position, department and university 
• Years you have worked at DAL/MSVU/NSCAD/SMU 
• And something you want us to highlight, such as your research interests, committee or union involvement, special project – a few things you do in addition to your teaching. (If you have a website people can visit for more info, please include that as well.)

To participate in this campaign, please send the above information by Friday, October 18.

Did you receive an award recently? Finished a Master’s or PhD degree? Did you publish a scholarly or creative article or book?  

If there’s any recent academic or professional accomplishment you are proud of, send an email to Erica (VP-SMU PT Faculty) to let her know about it so we can recognize your hard work at a special informal event on October 23 from 4 to 6 PM at SMU (CLARI Room – AT 340) where we will celebrate professional or academic accomplishments of TAs and PT Faculty in 2024. To attend online, also send an email to Erica to RSVP and receive a Zoom link. There will be refreshments, union trivia, and prizes. Everyone is welcome to attend!

You are invited to participate in the following activities taking place during Fair Employment Week:

• Social media campaign organized by CUPE 3912 together with the Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers (ANSUT) and Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) highlighting on X, Instagram and Facebook the contributions made by our part-time faculty/ICA members, will run from October 21 to 25.

• An online panel on Decent Work Across Borders organized by CAUT. Hear about wins for contract academic staff in Canada, the US and the UK. Monday October 21, 2024 from 12 to 1:30 PM Atlantic Time.

• Inaugural online meeting of a grass-roots organization of per-course instructors from all post-secondary academic institutions in Atlantic Canada CAFAC (Contract Academic Faculty of Atlantic Canada) hosted by Karen Harper (CAUT CAS Committee member.) October 22, 2024 at 5 PM.

• Celebrating CUPE 3912 members’ accomplishments organized by Samantha Williams (VP SMU TAs), Erica Fischer (VP SMU PT Faculty), Karen Harper (CAUT CAS Committee member), and Rine Vieth (SMU mobilizing committee member) on Wednesday October 23, 2024 from 4 to 6 PM at the CLARI Room (AT340) at Saint Mary’s. To attend online, send an email to Erica to RSVP and receive a Zoom link. There will be refreshments, union trivia, and prizes. All CUPE 3912 members and guests are welcome to attend!

• A social media day of action, organized by CAUT, will take place all day on October 23, 2024 to amplify the voices of contract academic staff: MAKE IT FAIR FOR CONTRACT ACADEMIC STAFF Fair working conditions are fundamental to high quality post-secondary education. Join us in calling for the fair treatment of contract academic staff. We encourage members to use CAUT’s customizable social media material templatesand share them with the hashtag #MakeItFair and don’t forget to tag @cupe3912.ca

This summer, PT Faculty and TAs voted in favour of merging the two bargaining units. The university, however, was not in agreement so we will formally make an application to the provincial labour board to merge.

In the meantime (and after much planning and organizing that began in the fall of 2023), we have requested and secured three dates to start renegotiating our collective agreement that expired in August. The bargaining dates are October 17th (cancelled by the employer), 23rd, and 24th.

CUPE 3912 supports our colleagues at CUPE 2361 at Western in their fight for fair compensation and improved working conditions. CUPE 2361’s members are essential for the function of academia and innovation, and their demands must be met for Western to continue offering quality education and to conduct cutting-edge research.

On July 12 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, CUPE 3912 will be hosting a BBQ for members. We will be serving corn with lots of toppings, cake, coffee and other cold drinks! The location will be the Former Art Bar at 1873 Granville St, Halifax, NS B3J 3L6.

This is a great opportunity to meet other members and to ask questions (also an excellent opportunity to enjoy a free meal).

If you plan to attend, please fill out this RSVP form as soon as possible, as we need to know how much food to prepare. The RSVP form is also a place for you to let us know if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions! Feel free to bring friends, just let us know in the RSVP form how many folks to expect.

Hope to see you there!

On June 21, we acknowledge the ongoing, fierce advocacy of Indigenous CUPE members and Indigenous people across the country. As part of Canada’s largest union, we acknowledge that it is more important than ever to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples to their unceded territories, as well as to preserve and protect their cultures and languages.

CUPE stands in solidarity with Indigenous nations, communities and organizations and is committed to continuing to work towards reconciliation, and to respect our ongoing treaty relationships.

For resources and actions to learn and to reflect on the ongoing harm caused by colonialism and Canada’s treatment of Indigenous people see CUPE National’s guide.

We are excited to invite you to join us for the 2024 Truro Pride Parade! This annual event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and the strength of our community.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, June 22, 2024
Meeting Time: 12:30 PM
Parade Start Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Colchester Legion Stadium, Lorne Street, Truro
Parade Route: From Colchester Legion Stadium to Civic Square

Look for the CUPE Nova Scotia van at the stadium where we’ll be decorating and getting ready for the parade. It promises to be a day filled with fun, community spirit, and colorful festivities. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in this significant event and would love for you to join us in showing our support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Let’s come together to make this year’s Pride Parade a memorable celebration of love and acceptance.

If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We look forward to seeing you there!

#2slgbptqia+ #pride2024

Please see the attached letter in support of Bill 435.