CUPE 3903’s Units 1, 2, & 3 Bargaining Team (BT) started off the week on Monday, July 13 with a joint BT-Executive meeting where preparation for the first substantial day of bargaining was top priority. With a number of upcoming bargaining dates throughout the summer now confirmed with the employer, your BT and Executive are working together to ensure all members can access the bargaining table either in-person or online.
You can find all of the upcoming bargaining dates on the CUPE 3903 calendar, linked here. For those attending upcoming bargaining dates via Zoom, be sure to sign in using your full name as it appears on the CUPE 3903 membership list if you can, in order to ensure a smooth process and help keep our spaces secure. Bookmark the CUPE 3903 calendar on your browser or sync it to your personal calendar so that you never miss an upcoming CUPE 3903 meeting or event.
On Wednesday, July 15, the BT had their first substantial day of bargaining with the employer, after the BT had provided the employer with a complete package of proposals at the start of the week. It was a very full first day of bargaining where many different proposals were discussed.
As the Interim VP of Equity, People, & Culture, Parissa Safai was present for this bargaining session, the BT took the opportunity to start the day by inquiring about the employer’s equity priorities and policies, followed by the introduction of our proposal to gain better employer reporting on instances of gender, ethnic, or race-based harassment and violence.
The BT then continued with some non-monetary proposals we probably have rough consensus on with the employer, followed by our presentations on pensions, classifications of Unit 3 work, disciplinary procedures, intellectual property rights, and participation on collegial governance bodies. The meeting concluded with a commitment to review further CUPE 3903 proposals at next week’s meeting.
The BT appreciates the Employer’s willingness to listen to and engage with both our proposals and the issues motivating them. In lieu of proposals, the Employer intends to relate to the union an inventory of interests they will pursue in this round of our collective bargaining process. We welcome their future disclosure of interests, and we read it as a signal to support and commit to the improved work, study, and research environment that we embedded in our own proposals.
Our next day of bargaining with the employer is Wednesday, July 22 from 9AM – 5PM in 280N in York Lanes and on Zoom. In preparation for this meeting, the BT will be meeting virtually the day prior on Tuesday, July 21 from 10AM – 12PM. All members are welcome to attend either meeting, and we hope to see you there!
In solidarity,
CUPE 3903 Bargaining Team (Units 1, 2, & 3)
bargaining@cupe3903.org