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As the beginning of the Fall semester rapidly approaches, Dalhousie’s CUPE 3912 membership has begun Strike Aversion campaigns all across campus. We’ll be at several locations over the next month. Consider stopping by to say hi or get an update on how things are going!

If you’d like to volunteer at one (or all) of these events to help us show Dalhousie that we’re strong and committed, please fill out this form for Q&A tabling and this form for the remaining events.

Campus Q&A Tables

CUPE 3912 is setting up information tables across campus to answer your questions about what we do and the likely upcoming strike.

• Date(s): Aug. 29th – Sep. 2, Sep. 6 – Sep. 9
• Location(s): Various across campus–check out our Instagram for daily locations.
• Time(s): 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Labour Day Rally

Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council is hosting a rally and march to gather various local unions together and CUPE 3912 will be there. Come take advantage of the snacks, face painting, bouncy castle, and entertainment. More info can be found here: https://fb.me/e/2xNjQG1Uo

• Date(s): Sep. 5th
• Location: 1601 Water St/Peace and Friendship Park
• Time(s): 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

CUPE 3912 Barbeque

Expect FREE FOOD, music, games, and picket sign marking. Show Dalhousie that our precarious academics (Teaching Assistants, Part Time Instructors, etc.) deserve better than a pay cut and that our union is united and ready to picket in the event of a strike.

• Date(s): Sep. 12th
• Location: Studley Quad
• Time(s): 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Grawood Social

Enjoy a fun evening in our student union building where CUPE members and supporters can come to mingle. It’s an event for member and volunteer appreciation as well as to celebrate our successes with the Strike Aversion Campaign. There will be food and alcoholic drinks available for purchase with drink deals to be announced.

• Date(s): Sep. 28th
• Location: Grawood in the Student Union Building
• Time(s): 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.

There is a Special General Meeting, Monday August 15 at 7 pm. The meeting will either be online or hybrid (TBD).

This general meeting will be to hold by-elections for several CUPE 3912 executive positions: 

• President
• VP, Dalhousie, Part-Time Faculty 
• VP, Dalhousie, Truro Campus
• VP TAs and Markers, Sexton Campus

To RSVP, contact our Membership Officer, Kim Robinson. A link will be sent to those who have RSVP’d prior to the meeting. 

There will be a Special General Meeting, Friday August 5, at 3 pm. 

It will be a hybrid meeting. The in-person option is at Dalhousie’s Rowe Building, room 1016. 

To receive the agenda in advance of the meeting, or the zoom link for the remote option, please RSVP with our Membership Officer, Kim Robinson.

Items on the agenda will include:

• A by-election for VP for TAs and Markers, Studley Campus
• Dalhousie strike preparations
• Election of members to committees
• Approval of audits

The Special General Meeting will take place at 4 pm on July 7 at the Mount Faculty Lounge (Seton 407/409). It will be hybrid so make sure to RSVP to Kim (our membership officer) to receive the zoom invite if attending online.

The meeting is called for:

• The by-election of the Mount VP
• To elect members to bargaining committees
• To vote on a motion to approve an audit

If you are interested in any of the positions,  you can to contact Karen to get more information ahead of time. Note that at the time of nominations, if you are not present (e.g., if your internet is not working) you will still be considered for the position only if you have emailed beforehand that you accept the nomination. 

We encourage nominations from marginalized groups, including but not limited to Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) peoples; BIPOC (Black, Indigeneous, People of Colour) members; members with disabilities; in addition to MAGes (Marginalized Genders) and LGBTQIA2S+  members.

Dalhousie Ratification Vote and Information Sessions:

• Thursday June 23, 2022, 7 pm (Online)
• Friday June 24, 2022, 4 pm (SUB 224/Online) 

Anyone who has taught at Dal as a PT instructor, hourly paid instructor, TA, marker or demonstrator in the last three years is eligible to vote.

To RSVP for the either session, contact our Outreach Officer, Dave Banoub.

On April 26 2022, at conciliation we reached a tentative agreement with the Dalhousie’s bargaining team. We will bring the tentative agreement to ratification, which means we will ask members at Dalhousie on whether or not they approve.

Details will follow on the process and timing of meetings and voting for ratification.

We had bargaining at SMU a couple of weeks ago. It really looks like we will table financial proposals next time on May 5, but we’ll see what happens.

Tuesday, April 26, we have all-day conciliation at Dal. We’ll see if the employer has anything else to bring to the table. As mentioned at the AGM, planning our strategy for a possible strike or other job action is ongoing and dynamic. One of the first steps for strike planning is recruiting volunteers, so please contact Dave if you are interested.

It looks like our next day at the Mount is May 18 but we might meet earlier.

We are reposting the following memo from Dalhousie, to make sure members have seen it:

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COVID update: Mask requirements extended to June 10; Campus Check program suspended as of May 1  

As previously communicated, Dalhousie will be adjusting vaccination requirements for students, faculty and staff effective May 1.

However, mask requirements will now be extended to June 10th, after Convocation. This reflects concerns regarding the current increase in COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia and the associated impacts on our Dal community and university operations. 

• Masks will continue to be required for most indoor common spaces and other appropriate settings until at least Friday, June 10. More information on where masks are required can be found here. Masks will also be required at Spring Convocation ceremonies in May and June in both Halifax and Truro; more detailed instructions will be sent to invitees in the coming weeks.
• We continue to encourage all members of our Dal community to get their vaccine and booster doses to help maintain and strengthen our already impressive vaccination rates. As of May 1, students, faculty, and staff will no longer be asked to provide proof of full vaccination to work and study on campus. Although the Campus Check program will be suspended, we will continue to monitor health and safety risks to our community and will consider reinstating Campus Check if necessary.
• Enhanced health and safety requirements (including masks) may continue to apply beyond June 10th in health-care settings and contexts, in alignment with the health-care sector in general. This includes students, faculty and staff in Faculties that intersect with health-care settings (Medicine, Health, and Dentistry) and in our Student Health and Wellness clinics in Halifax and Truro.

Given the current COVID situation, extending our mask requirements is the right thing to do for Dalhousie. As we have done throughout the pandemic, we will continue to consult with Public Health and experts in our community. If the situation improves, we may be in a position to lift mask requirements earlier than June 10; we will also be prepared to extend them further if need be.

We continue to expect members of our Dal community to take important steps for our shared health and wellness:

• Stay home if you have symptoms or aren’t feeling well and get tested. Remember: it’s still a legal requirement to self-isolate if you have COVID symptoms or if you test positive — it’s also the right thing to do.
• Continue to wear your mask in spaces that pose a greater risk of infection. In spaces where you are in close contact with others or assembled in large numbers, wearing a mask helps protect your health and the health of those around you.
• Get your booster shot(s) and keep up with the latest vaccine guidance. As vaccine guidance evolves, stay up to date with your shots as additional booster doses become available to reduce your risk of infection and serious illness.

For the latest COVID information, including important government resources for testing and self-isolation, visit the Nova Scotia Health website or dal.ca/coronavirus.

Join us, April 22, 2022 at 10 am for our annual general meeting. This meeting will include bargaining updates and the elections for:

• President 
• Vice President, Part-time Instructors, Dalhousie
• Vice President. Teaching Assistants, Dalhousie (Sexton Campus)
• Vice President, Part-time Instructors, SMU 
• Recording Secretary 
• Membership Officer 
• Trustee

If you have any questions about these positions, or would like to put yourself forward, you can contact our president, Karen Harper. You can also be nominated at the meeting.

The meeting will be online. To RSVP for the meeting, contact our Membership Officer, Kim Robinson. 

A link will be sent to those who have RSVP’d prior to the meeting. 

Overwhelming Success on Strike Vote

On March 25, 2022, Dalhousie teaching assistants, demonstrators, markers, and part-time and hourly instructors voted in favour of authorizing a strike.

This result provides the Negotiating Committee with strong support as we are heading into conciliation with the Employer later this week in an effort to avoid a strike.

Earlier negotiations with the Employer had reached an impasse. Our members’ willingness and commitment to go on strike if necessary will be instrumental in achieving our bargaining goals at conciliation.

Should the Employer continue to refuse to agree to a fair collective agreement and conciliation fail, we may be in a legal strike position 14 days after the conciliator submits their report.