“Blurred lines surrounding role of TAs”- Christina Behme’s interview with unews.ca

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

December 6th National Day of Remembrance Activities

A number of events are planned across Nova Scotia this December 6th to mark Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

CUPE President Danny Cavanagh is encouraging union members and all Nova Scotians to take part in the events as a way of working for change in our society.

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women was established to honour the victims of the December 6, 1989 massacre at École Polytechnique in Montreal, where 14 women were murdered because they were women. One of those women, Maryse Laganière, was a CUPE member who
worked at the school. This year marks the 24rd anniversary of the tragic event.

Scheduled events include:

Status of Women
Join us at Central United Church in Lunenburg on December 6 beginning at 6:45 pm for
an evening of reflection and music to seek a fair, just and safe community.

Province House
Join us at Province House, 1726 Hollis Street from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. to commemorate this day. Seating limited.

Acadia University (needs time of event)
Candle-lighting ceremony at the Wolfville Farmer’s Market, December 6 from 4-5 p.m.
(DeWolfe Building Street, 24 Elm Street, Wolfville)

Dalhousie University
Ceremony commemorating the victims of the Montreal Massacre, 7pm on December 6
at 1359 Barrington Street in Halifax. Hosted by the Dalhousie Women in Engineering
Society.

Candlelight Vigil in Sydney
Vigil at St Georges Church at 7pm, December 6.

What else you can do:

Urge the Government of Canada to initiate a public inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls by collecting signatures for a petition. Check out the Native
Women’s Association Community Resource Guide entitled “What Can I Do to Help the
Families of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls?” And sign the petition
here: http://www.nwac.ca/nwac-petition-national-inquiry-needed

Donate to Adsum House, an organization that provides shelter to women and children
who are victims of violence and abuse. And they are a CUPE workplace!
http://www.adsumforwomen.org/ways-help/donate-now

CUPE GENERAL MEETING

CUPE General Meeting

 

Friday, November 29, 2013.

2:00 p.m.

 Dalhousie University, 2nd Floor Student Union Building, Council Chambers

 

Come out and support your union. Become informed of issues affecting YOUR paycheque, and get involved!

THE INSTRUCTOR FALL 2013

The Instructor (Fall 2013) is out!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Heads up! CUPE General Meeting Ahead……………1

Greetings from the new President…………………….  2

….and from the new Vice-President SMU…….……..  3

CUPE 3912 at CUPE National Convention …….….  4

Nova Scotia Federation of Labour Convention…….  6

Obituary for CUPE 3912 members Katherine Clough and Jennifer Grabove …………..  7

Click here for the pdf version:

http://3912.cupe.ca/?attachment_id=1267

 

Tales of Budget Cuts at Dalhousie University. Planning and Action by Faculty, Students and Staff in Response

Dalhousie Student Union is inviting students, faculty and staff to share how “cuts, fees and lack of student voice” has affected them:
Together, Dalhousie students, faculty and staff can create a more accountable, participatory and vibrant Dalhousie!
Make Your and Your Department’s Story Known
We all have problems at Dal. Sharing your issues is the first step to addressing them. Write a personal grievance about the way cuts, fees and lack of student voice have affected you, your department or an important service on campus. Did your favourite professor leave? Is your program on the chopping block? Are international student fees burying you in debt? Send submissions to dalunited@gmail.com and they will be posted (with anonymity if requested) on www.dalunited.ca and put on a “tombstone” for the Day of the Dalhousie Dead (see below).
Day of the Dalhousie Dead – An Action to Demonstrate the Scary Reality of Dalhousie
Thurs Oct 31st 11am-2pm, Dal Quad
Professors are leaving, programs are being cut and services are underfunded. Our education is being degraded as a result.
Join faculty, students and staff to grieve the loss of the things we value about Dalhousie. We’ll write the many things that we’ve lost on tombstones and arrange them into a graveyard on the quad for all to see.
Make your own tombstone with your own story or send to dalunited@gmail.com for it to be anonymously posted on online and made into tombstones if you can’t yourself.
 
Join the Conversation about Where to Go from Here
Thursday Oct 24th 5pm, SUB rm 218

Wednesdays Oct 30th 5pm, SUB rm 316

You’re invited to meetings of faculty, students and staff to talk about the results of budget cuts on our department, with our services and on our university. We’ll discuss how we can work together and how to make the university more accountable and representative of all of us. Bring input on the Bill of Rights that will represent our collective vision for how Dalhousie could be different. We’ll also plan some actions moving forward and make “tombstones for the 31st”. Email dalunited@gmail.com for meeting details.
Aaron Beale Vice President Academic and External
Dalhousie Student Union
6136 University Avenue Halifax, N.S. B3H 4J2
P: (902) 494.1275 C: (902) 237. 9291 F: (902) 494.6647

JOB POSTING – WEBMASTER

CUPE Local 3912

Part-time – One year renewable contract
Application Deadline: November 11, 2013.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3912 is seeking to fill the position of part-time webmaster for the duration of a renewable one year contract.

Hours: Five (5) hours per week.
Pay Rate: $21.52 per hour.

Qualifications:

  • Experience in website management.
  • Experience in mailing list management.
  • Familiarity with the WordPress content management system and MailChimp an asset.
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access an asset.
  • Familiarity with Facebook and Twitter an asset.
  • Knowledge of HTML an asset.

Responsibilities:

  • Managing the CUPE 3912 website.
  • Posting job announcements to website within 48 hours of reception.
  • Managing CUPE 3912 mailing lists.
  • Managing CUPE 3912 email accounts settings.
  • Send notices to membership pertaining to website, mailing list and social media functions.
  • Offer technical assistance to the Executive Council on matters pertaining to the above.

CUPE Local 3912 serving part-time instructors and teaching assistants at Dalhousie University; part-time instructors at Mount Saint Vincent University and Saint Mary’s University; and instructors at the TESL Centre at SMU.

How to apply: Send a resume and cover letter to Office Manager Renee Danker at cupe3912@dal.ca

Application Deadline: November 11, 2013.

Death of Jennifer Grabove

It is with great sadness that I write to let you know that Dr. Jennifer Grabove, a part-time instructor in the Department of History, died August 31 after a two-year battle with cancer. She will be missed by her colleagues who describe her as an enthusiastic and dedicated teacher, a congenial and generous colleague, and a wonderful person.

She received her Ph.D. in British Medieval History from the University of Hull in England in 2003 for a dissertation titled “Merlin: An Exploration of Prophecy, Magic and Sanctity in England in the Central Middle Ages.” Since 2004, she taught a wide range of History courses at the Mount, from the introductory HIST 1101 The West and the World to an advanced seminar on medieval myths, medieval truths and medievalism. She also developed the very popular HIST 2281 History of Childhood: The European Experience for distance education.

Jennifer’s father, Glenn Grabove, is planning a memorial service for her in late September or early October. Details will follow. He has said that Jennifer would appreciate donations in her name to support cancer research or any library, “as she loved to read and thought libraries a wonderful resource.”

Elizabeth Church, PhD
Vice-President Academic