Search
Close this search box.

UHIP Grievance: Explained!

Want to know more about how the employer is unilaterally preventing dependents of international students from accessing healthcare funds? Curious what CUPE 3903 is doing to resist this? Check out this graphic explainer to know all the key details!

A grievance has been filed to address the employer’s move this summer to unilaterally stop allowing money from the GA Bursary Fund (which has a surplus) to be used to cover dependents for UHIP. This means that members have to pay out of pocket for their families’ healthcare, even though this money already exists. The union was told in June 2024 that the employer had already decided on its own in April 2024 not to pay retroactively for the entire 2023-2024 year.

The unilateral changes to UHIP funding by York are unfair and impact some of our most vulnerable members, especially at a time when international students and workers are already subject to growing attacks and instability! Get the facts below.

A green gradient graphic with the CUPE 3903 logo and images of an anger symbol and a broken dollar bill. The graphic’s text reads: UHIP Grievance: Explained! How York U is preventing dependents of international students from accessing healthcare funds.
A green gradient graphic with the CUPE 3903 logo and images of the Earth and a healthcare crosses. The graphic’s text reads: What is UHIP? UHIP is the health plan for international students and their dependents living in Canada. If you're an international student, you have to have UHIP, but it’s expensive! That’s why CUPE 3903 has bargained and won a UHIP Fund to cover those fees. For at least 10 years, those funds also covered the cost for dependents.
A green gradient graphic with the CUPE 3903 logo and an image of a broken heart with a bandage. The graphic’s text reads: What changed? Historically, if there wasn’t enough money in the UHIP Fund to cover dependents, York would ask CUPE 3903 permission to move money from the GA Bursary Fund (which has a surplus) to cover them. In June 2024, FGS unilaterally said they wouldn’t do this anymore, and members would have to pay out of pocket for their families’ health care costs, even though the money exists and is available.
A green gradient graphic with the CUPE 3903 logo and an image of an exclamation mark. The graphic’s text reads: What is CUPE 3903 doing about this? Over the summer, CUPE 3903 exec tried to raise this issue with York several times, without success. The union then allocated some of its own funds to help cover members’ dependent fees, just over $12,000 (very little compared to York U’s budget). On August 22nd, the union filed a grievance against this unfair unilateral change.
A green gradient graphic with the CUPE 3903 logo and an image of a megaphone. The graphic’s text reads: What’s the big picture? What York is doing to UHIP funding is not okay! It’s not transparent, and most of all, it impacts those who often have the hardest time accessing health care already. International students and workers have already been subject to growing attacks and instability. This move by York places a burden on some of our most vulnerable members.

Calling ALL Unit 1 Members Without Contracts!

CUPE 3903 has filed both a policy and a group grievance due to the employer’s failure to provide many Unit 1 contracts this Fall. In order to...

Guide to the New CUPE Jobs Site

As you may have heard, there has been an update to the CUPE Jobs website. We are aware of the various functional problems with the...

CUPE 3903 Exec: Solidarity with CUPE 1281 YUFA Staff

The CUPE 3903 Executive Committee is in solidarity with the staff at the York University Faculty Association (YUFA), who are represented by CUPE 1281. As...

2025 CUPE National Convention Delegates Report

This October, CUPE 3903 brought eight delegates to the 2025 CUPE National Convention, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. While there were multiple frustrating...

Committee By-election Acclamations!

At our recent October General Membership Meeting, three members were acclaimed in committee by-elections! Congratulations to Rory Sharp and Christopher Sorio on the Employment Equity...

Another Arbitration Victory for Disabled Graduate Students! 

Over the summer, CUPE 3903 achieved yet another arbitration victory!  This case continues a trend of wins at arbitration to protect the rights of graduate...

October 2025: Committee Byelections!

Calling all CUPE 3903 members! Please consider running for open committee positions in the upcoming committee byelections at the October 21 General Membership Meeting. We...

Statement Regarding September 16th

To the York University Administration, We write this letter to call on you to take a stand against anti-Palestinian racism. We do this in the...

Unit 1 Contract Issues: FAQ

This post was updated on October 16, 2025. In September 2025, York informed many Unit 1 members that they may not receive a Teaching Assistant...

The CUPE 3903 logo, with white bold stencil-style font that reads "CUPE 3903" and a star outline in the centre, offset by decorative flourishes on each side.

CUPE 3903 represents the contract faculty, teaching assistants, graduate assistants, and research assistants, part-time librarians and archivists, and Canadian Observatory on Homelessness workers at York University. 

Stay in touch

Follow our social media

Office address

  • 143 Atkinson Building, 96 The Pond Road, York University, Keele Campus

Mailing Address

  • CUPE 3903, 143 Atkinson Building, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3
Skip to content