News

CUPE 3912 supports our brethren exercising their right to collective action at York University. As precarious academics ourselves, we understand and sympathize with the financial, academic, and moral pressures imposed by post-secondary institutions in Canada. It is to our dismay that the chronic undervaluing of the work of contract academics is a nationwide issue, and we pledge our support for your strike actions the same as you did for us two years ago. Fight the good fight, we stand in solidarity!

The CUPE 3912 membership includes Dalhousie University part time academic service providers – Instructors, Teaching Assistants, Markers, Demonstrators, Clinical Instructors and more.

In support of the contract negotiation efforts of Dalhousie University Post-Doctoral researchers (Post – Docs) represented by PSAC Local 86001, we are encouraging our members to consider:

• Joining the Wednesday January 31, 2024 (1:00 – 3:00 pm) PSAC 86001 Information Picket in front of the Dalhousie Student Union building at 6136 University Avenue, Halifax
• Sending emails this week to the employer supporting the Dalhousie Post Docs
• Sharing support for PSAC 86001 Post Docs through personal social media channels, as CUPE 3912 does the same with its resources.
• Learning more about PSAC 86001 Post Docs in their contract negotiations and why they have a Mandate to Strike from their members
• Support CUPE 3912 – PSAC 86001 efforts in 2024 to improve member working conditions through collective bargaining and other means, that result in new collective agreements

The Dalhousie University Post-Doctoral researchers (Post Docs), are represented in collective bargaining negotiations with the employer by the PSAC (Public Service Alliance of Canada) Local 86001. About half of these researchers were once post graduate students at Dalhousie University.  For years, their wage rates have not kept pace with market conditions for similar services, or inflation, or the cost of living. The Halifax cost of available affordable housing has dramatically changed in recent years.

January 25, 2024 negotiations involved a Nova Scotia Department of Labour Conciliator meeting separately with employer and Union representatives, who were not meeting face to face. CUPE 3912 and PSAC 86001 members care about the services they provide to the Dalhousie University community.  Hopefully there will soon be a Tentative Agreement. However in December 2023, PSAC 86001 members voted in support of a Mandate to Strike At Dalhousie University, these are sometimes acted on.

Below are some pictures of SMU TAs celebrating joining CUPE 3912.

The CUPE 3912 VP for SMU TAs is Jonathan Mansvelt. The steward is Samantha Williams.

Our scheduled hybrid December 4 General Meeting, included an in-person room at Dalhousie University. Due to the snow today, Dalhousie University is closed.

Our hybrid General Meeting has been rescheduled for Monday December 18.

We will follow up with more details.

CUPE 3912 unequivocally supports the academic freedom of its members. This freedom includes the right to pursue research and open inquiry in an honest search for knowledge that is free from institutional censorship, including that of the government.

CUPE 3912 acknowledges that the freedom from political and institutional censure is especially critical at times of war and conflict where scholarly voices are an important corrective to widespread disinformation campaigns.

CUPE 3912 is committed to protecting the security and safety of all scholars who are targeted because of their scholarship and political work. We call upon our institutions to implement measures to safeguard our members.

 

Date: Tuesday, October 17 at 6 pm (virtual only)

Register: RSVP to catherine.wall@dal.ca

Working Title: Bargaining for Success: Where are we going? How do we get there?

Description: Gains at the bargaining table require successful planning and organization. This can be challenging when many of your members are precariously employed, and change as often as the wind.  Whether the goal is wage parity, or introducing benefits for part-time members, many of the organizing tactics are the same. This panel focuses on setting priorities that are important to your members, and working to achieve those goals at the bargaining table, while motivating your members and supporters.

On Thursday, September 28 2023, at 7 p.m., there will be an online SMM to vote to add language about SMU TAs into the bylaws so they can elect their VP and bargaining team to negotiate their first collective agreement in the near future.

The proposed bylaw changes were sent in the email with the subject: “Reminder: SMM, Thursday September 21, 2023”. Please contact Kim Robinson to RSVP and get the zoom link for this online meeting.

On Thursday September 21 at 7:00 p.m., we will hold our next hybrid Special Membership Meeting to elect the following positions:

• three (3) Dalhousie Vice Presidents,
• one (1) Trustee,
• two (2) members for the Dalhousie negotiating team,
• two (2) members for the MSVU negotiating team, and
• two (2) members for the SMU negotiating team.

Election of Three (3) Dalhousie Vice-Presidents

We seek new Vice Presidents for a September 2023 – March 2024 term:

• Vice-President, Dalhousie University PT Instructors (Halifax)
• Vice-President, Dalhousie TA’s and Markers (Sexton Campus)
• Vice-President, Dalhousie TAs and Markers (Studley Campus)

In the CUPE 3912 Bylaws (Section 9 starting on page 7), are the role descriptions.  Bylaw Amendments supported at an August 2023 Special Membership Meeting, now have these roles as being 1 year terms.

New Dalhousie Vice Presidents can expect to be involved with:

• Grievances involving members they represent
• Preparations for the next bargaining round
• Executive meetings
• CUPE 3912 annual budget and Nov. and March General Meetings

Election of one (1) Trustee

CUPE 3912 seeks a candidate to be a trustee.

Trustees do not attend or participate in regular Executive meetings. Their main contribution is in reviewing financial information provided, and documenting how well it conforms to CUPE performance requirements. The main activity will take place this fall in the CUPE Office in the Killam Library at Dalhousie University, as we get caught up on our audits from a few years ago.

In the CUPE 3912 Bylaws (Section 9 (m) starting on page 16), you can find the description of the Trustee role. Trustees receive training and some dollars for their time.

Election of two (2) members for each negotiating team of these three universities: Dalhousie, MSVU, and SMU.

The three Part-time Academic collective agreements of these universities will expire next year on August 31st, 2024 so we need to start preparing for these coming rounds of negotiations (preparing surveys, proposals, posters, etc.)

In the CUPE 3912 Bylaws (Section 17 (1) on page 22), there is more information about the negotiating committee.

If you are potentially interested in contributing to any of these officer or committee positions as a candidate, please contact Renee Dankner, our Office Manager at office@cupe3912.ca.

To RSVP and receive the Zoom link to the meeting or the location if you plan to attend in person, please email Kim Robinson, our Membership Officer.

If you want to attend in person, the meeting will be held at SMU, Loyola 173.

Consider joining the Labour Day parade on Monday September 4th, and afterwards supporting some CUPE 3912 NSCAD, SMU TA, and former Dalhousie Strike Committee speakers.

In 2022, the Labour Day speakers included a member of the CUPE 3912 Dalhousie Strike Committee. In 2023 there will be a follow up “Thank you” message, plus more good news from our new bargaining units.

People will be gathering at 10:30 for an 11:00 am start to the Labour Day parade through some Halifax streets. The parade will start in the park between the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Nova Scotia Labour Board office (ie. between 1601 – 1675 Lower Water Street).

The parade ends at the Peace and Friendship Park, across the street from the railway station and Westin hotel.

The theme this year is “Lifting everyone up”. All from within the broad organized labour family are welcome.

In 2023, the CUPE 3912 membership “footprint” expanded to include new bargaining units from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and the Saint Mary’s University Teaching Assistants.

This is more good news from CUPE 3912, following our successful Dal Strike in 2022, which helped to achieve our three new collective agreements with three different employers.

Please join us if you can, and spread the word with others.

On Tuesday September 5, CUPE 3912 will be at a part-time faculty orientation event at MSVU, and on Wednesday September 6, at a Teaching Assistant (TA) Day event at Dalhousie University.

Later in September we will have some by-elections and another Special Membership Meeting. More on that next time.

Enjoy your Labour Day weekend.

With 100% of the votes in support, 325 teaching assistants (TAs) at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) have now joined Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3912.  

Membership in the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3912 has now expanded to include Teaching  Assistants (TAs), Research Assistants (RAs), and Independent Course Appointees (ICAs) from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), and TAs from Saint Mary’s University (SMU). All of those who voted for labour board certification were in  support of unionization.  

“Our new members responded to the success of our 2022 Dalhousie Strike, and the three collective agreements we signed,  with three different employers, within 100 days,” according to CUPE 3912 President Cameron Ells. 

“The unanimous voting result is a testament to the passion of our unified community of TAs,“ reflected Jonathan Mansvelt, a  member of the SMU TA Organizing Committee. “We are only just getting started, and I am excited to continue collaborating  with all members to construct a collective agreement that serves each and every one of us. I’m very proud of what we have  accomplished to date; it’s amazing that what started as an ambitious chat between three TAs last November sparked a  movement leading to union certification in less than a year.”  

The successful effort to unionize the TAs at SMU was a collective one. Unionized full-time and part-time professors pitched in  by encouraging their TAs to sign union cards and vote in the certification process. Solidarity with SMUFU (the union for full time professors and librarians) and NSGEU 179 (support staff, maintenance, security & general workers) undoubtedly helped  achieve this.  

CUPE 3912’s next goal is to negotiate a first collective agreement between the SMU TA members and the Employer that will improve wages, working conditions, and job security. In addition to the SMU TAs, last spring, 75 Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, and Independent Course Appointees from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) also voted 100% in favour of joining CUPE 3912.  

For more information, please contact: Cameron Ells (President, CUPE 3912)

Press Release SMU TAs Aug. 28, 2023-2