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Let’s discard our false assumptions about adjuncts’ relationship with the university, tenured faculty and the public.

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by Kane X. Faucher

Read the whole article here:

http://www.universityaffairs.ca/contractually-bound-six-myths-about-contract-faculty-in-canada.aspx?utm_source=newslettermar514&utm_medium=email&utm_content=6myths&utm_campaign=ataglanceEN

CUPE local 3912 has an opportunity for a motivated part-time faculty member who is interested in becoming more involved in the union that represents part-time faculty at Dalhousie, Mount St. Vincent, and St. Mary’s Universities. Applicants should be outgoing and be able to talk to small/medium size groups of people. No previous work experience with unions is required.

Working with, and reporting to, the local’s Executive Committee, the goals of this position are to contact, educate and mobilize CUPE 3912’s part-time faculty. The liaison will develop and use e-mail lists to notify members of events, bargaining updates, etc.

The liaison will be responsible for the following tasks:

1) Be responsible for co-ordinating effective communication between the Executive of CUPE 3912 and its membership.

2) Organize meetings either members either individually or in groups to provide information or obtain feedback.

3) Organize meetings between the vice-presidents (or other members of the Executive) and the membership.

4) Recruit stewards and collaborate with the vice-presidents to facilitate regular meetings of the stewards at the different universities.

5) In co-operation with the communications officer, develop educational and promotional materials such as ads, posters, and pamphlets and arrange for their distribution.

6) Provide a written report to the Executive.

7) Attend executive meetings at the discretion of the executive.

8) Attend CUPE 3912 general meetings.

The liaison must be a part-time faculty member at Dalhousie, Mount St Vincent or St. Mary’s and a member in good standing of CUPE 3912. Necessary Training will be provided.
While the time commitment will vary as issues dictate, the expected time commitment of the position is 10 hours per week.

Salary: Hourly rate will be $21.52.

Application deadline: March 21, 2014

Applications should be submitted to: Cupe3912@dal.ca

Negotiations for a 2012-2015 contract for CUPE 3912 resumed in November 2013 after a hiatus due to a series of delays over the summer. Bargaining sessions have been discontinued. We have yet to discuss monetary issues as outstanding differences remain over a number of key non-monetary issues. These issues are important to the Union as they involve job security. One of the major goals for the Union in this round of bargaining is to strengthen what little job security members have. After the last meeting, the Union felt it unproductive to continue, and on Feb. 14, 2014, CUPE formally requested that a Conciliator be appointed to assist the parties in concluding a renewal agreement.

The fight for human rights in our workplaces makes better workplaces for all. CUPE Nova Scotia is celebrating Black History Month by hosting a discussion with Captain Kevin Reade, one of the leaders of the Halifax Black Firefighters Association’s recent and historic successful Human Rights challenge.

Dignitaries from Halifax’s African-Nova Scotian community including Halifax Regional School Board Member, Melinda Daye, and our Poet Laureate, El Jones, will be joining for what is hoped will be a lively discussion on Restorative Justice practices and the struggle for equality in the workplace.

When: Saturday, February 22

Where: Cornwallis Street Baptist Church, 5457 Cornwallis Street, Halifax

Along with some lively discussion and debate, there will be great food, good company and great entertainment.

For more information, click below:

http://cupe.ca/bargaining/contract-talks-break-saint-marys

To our colleagues among the Contract Academic Staff at Mount Allison University, and all fellow workers among the faculty striking at University of New Brunswick, we send our solidarity and greetings – our wishes for strength and for victory for a fair wage, are with you daily.

Universities Work because We do!

Here is a round-up of forthcoming events from the Labour Council:

-January 27: National day of action in support of the postal workers.
An action is being planned for Halifax – stay tuned.

-March 8: International Women’s Day. Stay tuned for local events.

-April 3: The NSFL is planning a forum on the federal elections. With the
deafeat of the provincial NDP, the federal seats are now at risk including
in Halifax and Dartmouth were the same voters who voted Liberal for the
provincial government risk voting Liberal again for the federal election.

-The NS Liberals are going ahead with the health care super board, which
means coming headaches for health care workers.

-Programming for the 5th annual Mayworks Festival is underway. It will be
the largest festival yet and will have a great lineup.

“The Nova Scotia Teachers Union is concerned about results from the 2013 Report Card on Child Poverty and its link to student success”

Read the full story here:

http://www.kingscountynews.ca/News/Local/2013-12-13/article-3542505/Nova-Scotia-Teachers-Union-president-concerned-with-child-poverty/1

Extract from article:

Christina Behme works as a part-time faculty member in Dalhousie’s philosophy department but she’s also the vice-president of the CUPE local and represents teaching assistants at Dalhousie. She brought forward the issue at the CUPE general meeting on Friday. “People have been contacting us because they have to do the same amount of work and the same kind of work and be paid as a demonstrator as people that are being paid as TAs,” she said. A TA makes substantially more money than that of a marker or demonstrator — the equivalent of seven or eight more dollars per hour. “They have been fighting the employers for years for a specific definition of what TAs do and what a marker is doing,” she said. – See more at: http://unews.ca/blurred-lines-surrounding-tas-role/#sthash.qd8YZfBM.dpuf