Dear members,

As we close out an intense and historic year for CUPE 3912, I want to take a moment to thank you—for your courage, your solidarity, and your commitment to one another.

The past year demanded a great deal from all of us. Across campuses, bargaining became increasingly difficult, employers resisted fair solutions, and many of you stepped into organizing, mobilization, and strike action for the first time. Through phone zaps, picket lines, postering campaigns, rallies, and daily conversations with colleagues, members showed up in extraordinary ways. The strength of our strike votes and the resolve on the lines sent a clear message: quality education depends on fair working conditions.

One of the most powerful lessons of this strike was the importance of communication and community. Our daily strike newsletter, media work, and member-led storytelling helped build trust, counter employer misinformation, and keep us connected during an incredibly challenging time. Just as importantly, many members told me that the relationships built on the picket lines were a highlight—proof that while employers don’t create community for us, we absolutely can and do.

As we move into the wrap-up phase, we’ve begun debrief sessions at SMU and MSVU, using an “apples and onions” reflection to talk honestly about what worked and what didn’t. While some members understandably felt stretched thin, I was encouraged by how many people spoke about solidarity, confidence, and connection. These reflections will shape how we strengthen our committees, build more capacity, and prepare for future bargaining.

Looking ahead, there is important work underway. We are continuing organizing efforts to grow the local, including bringing Dalhousie architects into the bargaining unit. Labour-management discussions are resuming, with commitments already secured around student evaluations at MSVU and an upcoming LMC with Dalhousie in early 2026. I am also committed to ensuring that retro pay is never again used as a bargaining delay tactic that costs members money.

Finally, after everything you’ve given this year, I want us to celebrate. I hope to establish a local-wide social committee and plan an event in early January so we can come together, reconnect, and recognize the strength and resolve of this membership. If you’re interested in helping with that—or in getting more involved in any aspect of the local—please reach out.

This year showed what CUPE 3912 is capable of. Together, we shifted the conversation about precarious academic work in Nova Scotia, strengthened our union, and demonstrated the power of collective action. I am deeply proud to stand with you.

In solidarity,
Lauren McKenzie
President, CUPE 3912

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Gala – Report
Andrew Maize, NSCAD CUPE 3912, Bargaining Committee

I attended the CCPA Gala on November 6th as a delegate for CUPE 3912. I took a cab over to  the event with my driver Muhammad. It being 5:30, we leapt into discussion around the  everyone second favourite conversation topic – Halifax Traffic. He told me some nightmarish and  frustrating scenarios – and we agreed that it appears that the the city has no plan, and that the  proposed band-aid solutions (removing bike lanes WTF? and removing trees and houses on  Robie were not only insulting but useless. We discussed mass-transit options and limiting private  vehicle traffic on the peninsula. We caught the rising of the near full beaver moon while crossing  the new bridge. 

In the beer line, I spoke with two members of the Faculty Union at Saint Mary’s University, and  they spoke of solidarity with the then striking members of our local. I sat at the table with other  CUPE members, including the President of CUPE Nova Scotia. I introduced myself and  everyone was pleasant. I learned about how my fellow members got into working with the union  (a free meal was a common thread). I learned how busy everyone has been with all of the strikes  going on. We were seated in the front row, and I realized that we were head table once we got  called to the buffet FIRST! The menu was tuscan chicken, a nice sauce, with rice (or was it  potato?), veggies and a roll with butter. There were two types of salad, once with goat cheese,  and the other a caesar with bacon on the side. For dessert there we cookies and baked goods. 

We heard from all of the important projects and undertakings by Christine Saulnier, Director of  the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia. She spoke about their policy research  initiatives on housing, childcare, and advocacy for living wages standards for works in the  maritimes. The main speaker at the event was Leilani Farha, from her online bio “the former UN  Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing and Global Director of The Shift. Her work is  animated by the principle that housing is a social good, not a commodity. Leilani has helped  develop global human rights standards on the right to housing, including through her topical  reports on homelessness, the financialization of housing, informal settlements, rights-based  housing strategies, and the first UN Guidelines for the implementation of the right to housing.  She is the central character in the documentary PUSH regarding the financialization of housing,  screening around the world. Leilani Launched The Shift in 2017 with the UN Office of the High  Commissioner for Human Rights and United Cities and Local Government.” The format of the  talk was an Q and A with a journalist, but unfortunately was only about 20mins long, and the  questions were surface level and didn’t really go very deep into things. This was a shame  because Farha is a deeply knowledgable researcher on the housing crisis, and I think would have  had much more to offer on such a important matter. 

The event was an great introduction to her work and I look forward to learning more about these  initiatives. My participation also introduced me to other Union and progressive organizations  such as Fernwood Publishing, which I learned a lot about in the evening. Overall, my  participation allowed me to represent CUPE 3912 at a very visible event, and meet lots of people  in the community. These conversations and relationship will continue to benefit us as we work  towards our first collective agreement with NSCAD. 

Thanks for reading. 

My involvement with virtual picketing was limited to those times when in-person picketing was cancelled or delayed due to weather. Therefore, my experience is limited in comparison with those who relied more extensively or completely on virtual picketing opportunities.

Having stated that, from my perspective virtual picketing worked extremely well. For those members who were periodically unable or never able to participate in in-person picketing this method was essential to their ability to participate in the strike and to collect strike pay. For those like me who carried out in-person picketing as often as possible, virtual picketing proved most helpful in making up time lost on in-person picketing due to weather or personal factors (such as family responsibilities, appointments, etc.). If we were to go on strike in future, I would be very disappointed if a virtual picketing option was not available.

In terms of the process itself, once I was logged on to each Zoom session it went quite smoothly for me. Online picket captains did an excellent job of welcoming us, explaining procedures, and assisting newcomers to the process. The linked task lists that were provided to members were very helpful. I could see what tasks were available and which of those were prioritized by the union. I especially appreciated the flexibility to work on some tasks that may not have been listed specifically but which were along similar lines to those that were. In my case, these activities were cleared with the picket captains.

Again, my more limited experiences with the process make it harder for me to offer much in the way of substantive constructive criticism. The one issue that I can think of involves accessing the Zoom sessions themselves. I did find it a bit awkward searching through various emails for the Zoom links (sometimes having to go back through several days of email to find those links). 

Perhaps there could be a clearly labelled section on CUPE’s website for virtual strike activities where Zoom links for each university could be posted. Such a section of the website could be password protected so that non union members could not view or enter it. Aside from presenting the Zoom links themselves, such a section of the website could also serve as a central point of access to information on eligibility for participation in virtual picketing, scheduling of virtual picketing activities, and other information. This might be helpful for everyone, and especially to those like me who engaged in virtual picketing on an infrequent basis. If such links did exist on CUPE’s website, my apologies for overlooking them.

An alternative to providing a dedicated page on CUPE’s website for virtual strike duties could be to include Zoom links and the online picketing schedule in each email update from leadership, perhaps toward the end of each update or message. That way, we would only ever have to look at the last communication from leadership for virtual picketing information and Zoom links for each school. This method might also ensure that we are viewing the most up to date information about virtual picketing, as during the final week of the strike some of the original picketing plans were changed as the situation developed (although these changes seemed to affect in-person picketing more than virtual picketing).

If I understood the situation correctly, in the earlier stages of the strike Zoom links for virtual picketing were shared only with those members who were signed up for online strike duties. This was done to encourage any and all members who could potentially picket in person to do so. If this is correct, then I understand entirely why that approach was taken (so as to maximize numbers on the in-person picket lines and minimize the degrees to which some might take advantage of, or even abuse, the virtual picketing option). I have to admit, however, that during the strike I don’t recall anyone complaining about, or even mentioning, any awareness of abuse of the virtual picketing option. If that perception accurately reflects the situation, then it’s an excellent comment on the honesty and dedication of our union membership.

As time went on, and after a couple of sessions when virtual picketing was opened up to all members due to the delay or cancellation of in-person picketing, there seemed to be a transition toward all members having access to the Zoom links for each school. At that point, the kinds of measures suggested above (for easier access to Zoom links and virtual picket scheduling) might have been taken. 

Although the volume of description above may make it appear as if I’m harping on the issue of access to information about and Zoom links for virtual picketing, I’m really not. At the end of the day, I was always able to get the information and the links that I needed after some searching through emails and other communications. These suggestions are made only in a spirit of support and gratitude for all of the hard work undertaken by our leadership team, including online picket captains and all those who made virtual picketing a successful reality. I think it was a great asset to the strike and hope that it will remain a part of our union’s “toolkit” moving forward.