Accessibility Policy

The following policy was approved by the CUPE 3903 membership as part of the Bylaws.

CUPE 3903 is committed to ensuring that our union spaces are made as accessible as possible. We understand that it is important to be creative and flexible about accessibility and that the accessibility needs of individuals and groups can change day to day, or even during the course of a meeting. In light of this commitment, considerations for GMMs, SGMMs, and Townhalls should include and not be limited to:

1. Meetings should be booked for no longer than 3 hours. Meetings can be extended by a 2/3 majority vote (as per Article 15) but may not be extended for more than 30 minutes.
2. All 3 hour in person meetings must contain at least one 10 minute break. All 3 hour Zoom meetings must contain at least two 10 minute breaks. Additional breaks may be offered.
3. Spaces booked for meetings must be wheelchair/walker/mobility accessible and there must be seating that is able to accommodate a range of body sizes. Accessible seating will be reserved at the front of the meeting room and in aisle seats that are nearby to the room exits. Space will be made available at the back of the meeting room for standing/stretching. Meeting spaces must be located nearby to accessible all-gender washrooms.
4. Captioning and ASL interpretation will be provided at all SGMMs, GMMs and AGMs, and at other membership meetings upon request. Requests for ASL interpretation must be made to the union’s Equity Officer no later than 7 days before the meeting in question. Hiring of ASL interpreters will be made with the political considerations of our local in mind and will follow our equity approach to hiring.
5. Meetings require at least 3 stationary microphones and one microphone that is portable. Stationary microphones should be put in places where there is space to move around them for all body sizes and with a wheelchair/walker/mobility/service animal etc. If there is no space to make stationary microphones accessible, a member must be designated the roving microphone.
6. Childminding will be offered at in-person membership meetings or members will be reimbursed for childcare costs. Childcare costs will only be reimbursed if proper receipts are presented. Claims should not be paid for a spouse, partner, or a family member who normally provides care without charge, or for periods of time where a member would normally have paid for care, such as during normal hours of work at their job.
7. At the start of each meeting members will be made aware of the nearest washrooms, the nearest gender accessible washrooms, the nearest wheelchair accessible washrooms, and the nearest space available for chestfeeding/breastfeeding/pumping.
8. Food will be provided at all GMMs and SGMMs that takes into account common dietary restrictions (halal, vegan, kosher, nut free, gluten free). Requests for food that accommodates unlisted dietary requirements can be made to the VP Unit 2 no later than 7 days before the meeting in question.
9. Meeting agendas with meeting access information and scheduled break times listed will be circulated 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Paper copies of the agenda in 12 point font and 18 point font (large print) will be made available at the meeting.