Conversion and LSTA Application Workshop
2025-10-28 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Toronto) | Zoom
Join our Conversion and Careers Advisor, Professor Kym Bird, in a series of workshops on preparing your application for conversion and other tenure-stream hiring searches at York.
Tuesday, 28 October, 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. (online at this link via Zoom)
The workshop will focus on advising members on:

How the conversion process works
How to prepare strong files in teaching, research, and service
How to make yourself as attractive as possible as a candidate for potential upcoming positions at York

The best application files are constructed over time! An application for a conversion appointment, for example, must include a current curriculum vitae; letters of reference (including external letters); and an assessment by the hiring unit of the candidate’s teaching, research, and scholarly or creative work, their service potential, how their appointment fulfills departmental needs, and (where appropriate and in light of the candidate’s unique career path) an assessment of the candidate’s potential for participation in graduate teaching and supervision.
Members applying for conversion are generally required to submit their applications in February for appointments beginning July 1. (More details of the process will be communicated later by Faculty Relations and the Union.)
Conversion and Career Advice Workshops are open to all CUPE 3903 members interested in compiling a strong application package for conversion and LSTA appointments or who might, in future, be a position to apply for employment under either program.
Professor Kym Byrd is a YUFA member in the Division of Humanities and a former CUPE 3903 Unit 2 member who earned a conversion appointment. Her primary role as Career Advisor is to assist contract faculty members in career planning and Professional Development to prepare them to apply for conversion and tenure-stream applications at York. In addition to these workshops. Dr. Bird will be holding two additional workshops before the conversions’ application deadline. Details of the future workshop will be posted online and in the CUPE 3903 newsletter.
Dr. Bird is also available for one-on-one consultations about building your application file. Contact Dr. Byrd at kbird@yorku.ca.

Unit 5 Bargaining Prep
2025-10-28 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-11 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-18 13:00 - 15:00 | ON
A preparatory session for the Unit 5 Bargaining Team.

Unit 2 Stewards' Council
2025-10-29 14:30 - 15:30 | ON
Unit 2 members are warmly invited to biweekly meetings at which we can discuss our issues and how to build a better workplace for all at York. No registration required. If you are a member of other units and are interested in unit 2 issues, you are most welcome to join us too!

WHEN: Wednesday, October 29th, 2:30pm-3:30pm
ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82044477717?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meetings continue every two weeks as follows:

Oct 1, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Oct 15, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Oct 29, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Nov 12, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Nov 26, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Dec 10, 2:30pm-3:30pm

Discussion topics might include:

Hiring (is the employer following the CA on postings, NRAs, sending contracts, etc?)
What discussions are taking place in departments, Faculty Councils and Senate?
What union campaigns and events are we building?
How can we prepare for bargaining in 2026?
How do we build unit 2 community?

For more information please contact Neil Braganza, Lead Steward Unit 2, at lsu2@cupe3903.org.

Bargaining Townhall #1: Let's Get Ready to Bargain!
2025-10-31 13:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
Members in units 1, 2 and 3 are invited to the first of a series of Townhalls on bargaining in 2026, hosted by the CUPE 3903 Stewards’ Council.

When: Friday, October 31, 1:00pm-3:00pm
Join here: Zoom link

The purpose of a townhall is to provide an venue for open discussion, free from the procedural constraints and packed agenda of a GMM.
What to expect:

We will have a short update on what our membership level is at, whether our dues base has shrunk, and how our finances are looking.
We should discuss job losses and restructuring. What are we seeing? What are we experiencing? What can we expect?
What bargaining proposals are we thinking about? Some early ideas will be shared.
What work do we need to do to collectively to get ready for bargaining in 2026?

For any questions and accessibility accommodations, please contact Neil Braganza (lsu2@cupe3903.org), Lead Steward Unit 2.

Bargaining Research & Preparation Committee Meeting
2025-11-03 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
The next Bargaining Research & Preparation Committee meeting is scheduled for November 3, 11AM-12PM. All are welcome! Click here for the link to join.
Contact 3903brc@gmail.com if you want to get involved or know more.

Unit 5 Bargaining
2025-11-06 13:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-13 13:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-19 10:00 - 13:00 | ON
This will be a session of Unit 5 bargaining with the Employer. Unit 5 is our newest unit in CUPE 3903, representing workers at the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness!

Executive Committee Meeting
2025-11-10 11:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-26 10:00 - 13:00 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
The Executive Committee is holding a meeting. All members are welcome to attend. Only executive committee members can vote. This meeting will be hybrid, with the in-person space being the board room of the CUPE 3903 office (Atkinson 143).
Please click here for the Zoom link for this meeting!

The agenda is available at this link.
Please contact Zoë Newman, Chairperson, at chairperson@cupe3903.org for any accessibility requests.

BIPOC Caucus: CLiFF Screening
2025-11-12 16:00 - 18:00 | GeoHUB in HNES Building, 104 Scholars Walk, North York, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
From the BIPOC Caucus:
About CLIFF: The first ever Canadian Labour International Film Festival was held in 2009. It was the first-ever labour-oriented film festival in Canada. It tells the stories of workers – unionized and non-unionized.
Shadow Work: This short documentary looks at “shadow work”: tasks that are not part of an employee’s official job description, but are necessary for the organization to function, and may be unpaid and unseen.
Union and University: Disgruntled graduate students disrupt two hundred years of peaceful exploitation by going on strike. The university administration hires private investigators, security, and a full surveillance package to keep the campus safe. Is this 2025 or 1925?
This event is open to ALL members, not only racialized members, throughout all units. The screening will be held in the GeoHUB in the HNES (Health, Nursing, & Environmental Studies) building. RSVP using the form linked here.

November Stewards' Council
2025-11-18 10:30 - 12:30 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
The next Stewards’ Council will be on November 18th at 10:30AM-12:30PM. It is open to all members, and stewards are especially encouraged to attend. The meeting will by hybrid, on Zoom at this link and in-person in the CUPE 3903 Office at 143 Atkinson.
Questions? Contact Prateeksha Pathak, Lead Steward Unit 1, at lsu1@cupe3903.org or Neil Braganza, Lead Steward Unit 2, at lsu2@cupe3903.org.

November General Membership Meeting
2025-11-19 10:00 - 13:00 | ON
We are hosting a hybrid General Membership Meeting on November 19th from 10AM – 1PM! All members are encouraged to attend.
To register for the meeting, click this link. Please register in advance! Make sure to register at the link even if you’re attending in-person so that we can better estimate numbers and you can receive voting ballots via email.
The in-person location will be CC109. The agenda is available at this link.
In order to register, you will need to provide your employee number, which will be kept confidential. Your employee number is on your monthly pay stub. If you don’t know your employee number, please click here for instructions.
If you require any of the following: ASL interpretation, reimbursement for childcare/caregiver/attendant care, or other requests for accommodation, please contact our Staff Representative Equity, Nadia Kanani, at equity@cupe3903.org.

Conversion and LSTA Application Workshop
2025-11-20 14:00 - 15:30 | Zoom
Join our Conversion and Careers Advisor, Professor Kym Bird, in a series of workshops on preparing your application for conversion and other tenure-stream hiring searches at York.
Thursday, 20 November, 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. (online at this link via Zoom)
The workshop will focus on advising members on:

How the conversion process works
How to prepare strong files in teaching, research, and service
How to make yourself as attractive as possible as a candidate for potential upcoming positions at York

The best application files are constructed over time! An application for a conversion appointment, for example, must include a current curriculum vitae; letters of reference (including external letters); and an assessment by the hiring unit of the candidate’s teaching, research, and scholarly or creative work, their service potential, how their appointment fulfills departmental needs, and (where appropriate and in light of the candidate’s unique career path) an assessment of the candidate’s potential for participation in graduate teaching and supervision.
Members applying for conversion are generally required to submit their applications in February for appointments beginning July 1. (More details of the process will be communicated later by Faculty Relations and the Union.)
Conversion and Career Advice Workshops are open to all CUPE 3903 members interested in compiling a strong application package for conversion and LSTA appointments or who might, in future, be a position to apply for employment under either program.
Professor Kym Byrd is a YUFA member in the Division of Humanities and a former CUPE 3903 Unit 2 member who earned a conversion appointment. Her primary role as Career Advisor is to assist contract faculty members in career planning and Professional Development to prepare them to apply for conversion and tenure-stream applications at York. In addition to these workshops. Dr. Bird will be holding two additional workshops before the conversions’ application deadline. Details of the future workshop will be posted online and in the CUPE 3903 newsletter.
Dr. Bird is also available for one-on-one consultations about building your application file. Contact Dr. Byrd at kbird@yorku.ca.

Dean Spade "Navigating Conflict" Watch Party!
2025-11-20 15:00 - 16:30 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
Thursday, November 20, 3:00 to 4:30pm
Atkinson 143 or on Zoom at this link
—
As our local embarks on developing conflict resolution policies and processes, we’ll be looking for ways to have a larger conversation about what dispute resolution rooted in care and abolition can look like. Dean Spade (Love in a F*cked Up World) is offering an online session on “Navigating Conflict”.

Come and watch together in-person in the union office, or register for a free ticket to watch separately and join us on Zoom to share thoughts at 4:30pm.

Because the biggest room in Atkinson 143 has limited capacity, please rsvp by emailing Zoë Newman, Chairperson, at chairperson@cupe3903.org.

For any accessibility needs associated with the event, please contact Nadia Kanani, Staff Representative Equity, at equity@cupe3903.org.

Accelerated Safety Assessment and Risk Management (A-SARM) Workshop with Christina DiGianni
2025-11-24 12:30 - 14:00 | ON
The Trans Feminist Action Caucus will be hosting an Accelerated Safety Assessment and Risk Management (A-SARM) Workshop on November 24th at 12:30 PM facilitated by Christina DiGianni (she/her).
This session is designed to help community members recognize and respond when someone may be experiencing abuse. Participants will learn to identify warning signs and red flags, assess safety risks, and use key A-SARM tools to support survivors effectively. The workshop will also build confidence in having difficult but necessary conversations and connecting survivors with the right resources.
Christina DiGianni (she/her) is a Manager, Community Support and Outreach at The Redwood…for women and children fleeing abuse, in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. You can learn more about the Redwood…for women and children fleeing abuse here.
You can register for the workshop here. If you cannot attend but have questions for our facilitator, please submit them by email to the TFAC Co-Chairs, Océane (tfac1@cupe3903.org) and Orçun (tfac2@cupe3903.org).
All TFAC members who attend the workshop will receive a $20 honorarium.

November TFAC Meeting
2025-11-24 14:00 - 16:00 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
The November Trans Feminist Action Caucus meeting is happening on November 24th, at 2PM!
It’s hybrid, so you can join on Zoom or at the CUPE 3903 office in 143 Atkinson. Please register in advance as we will also be hosting an A-SARM Workshop in partnership with The Redwood…for women and children fleeing abuse.
TFAC includes all women, trans, genderqueer, and gender variant members of CUPE 3903! If you’re part of those groups, we want you there.
For TFAC questions, contact Océane Nyela, at tfac1@cupe3903.org and/or Orçun Turan, at tfac2@cupe3903.org.

U5 Bargaining Prep
2025-12-02 13:30 - 15:00 | ON

Executive Committee Meeting
2025-12-04 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-11 13:00 - 16:00 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
The Executive Committee is holding a meeting. All members are welcome to attend. Only executive committee members can vote. This meeting will be hybrid, with the in-person space being the board room of the CUPE 3903 office (Atkinson 143).

The Zoom link is available here. The agenda is available at this link.
Please contact Zoë Newman, Chairperson, at chairperson@cupe3903.org for any accessibility requests.

Bargaining Townhall #2: Bargaining Survey Launch!
2025-12-15 13:00 - 15:00 | ON
Members in units 1, 2 and 3 are invited to the next installment in our series of Townhalls on bargaining, hosted by the CUPE 3903 Stewards’ Council!

When: Monday, December 15, 1-3PM

Join here: Zoom link

The purpose of a townhall is to provide a venue for open discussion, free from the procedural constraints and packed agenda of a General Membership Meeting.
What to expect:

We will launch a new bargaining survey and go through the questions together and discuss how they may be relevant to bargaining.

Let’s talk about: How do we use these surveys to bargain for better in 2026?

For any questions and accessibility accommodations, please contact Neil Braganza, Lead Steward Unit 2, at lsu2@cupe3903.org.

December TFAC Meeting
2025-12-16 13:30 - 15:30 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
The Trans Feminist Action Caucus meeting is hosting its monthly meeting on Tuesday, December 16 at 1:30 PM!
It’s hybrid, so you can join on Zoom or at the CUPE 3903 office in 143 Atkinson.
TFAC includes all women, trans, genderqueer, and gender variant members of CUPE 3903! If you’re part of those groups, we want you there.
For TFAC questions, contact Océane Nyela at tfac1@cupe3903.org and/or Orçun Turan at tfac2@cupe3903.org.

December General Membership Meeting
2025-12-17 11:00 - 14:00 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
We are hosting a hybrid General Membership Meeting on December 17th from 11AM – 2PM! All members are encouraged to attend.
To register for the meeting, click this link. Please register in advance! Make sure to register at the link even if you’re attending in-person so that we can better estimate numbers and you can receive voting ballots via email.
The in-person location will be the CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson). The agenda is available at this link.
In order to register, you will need to provide your employee number, which will be kept confidential. Your employee number is on your monthly pay stub. If you don’t know your employee number, please click here for instructions.
If you require any of the following: ASL interpretation, reimbursement for childcare/caregiver/attendant care, or other requests for accommodation, please contact our Staff Representative Equity, Nadia Kanani, at equity@cupe3903.org.

Executive Committee Meeting
2026-01-15 13:00 - 16:00 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
The Executive Committee is holding a meeting. All members are welcome to attend. Only executive committee members can vote. This meeting will be on Zoom due to weather.

The Zoom link is available here. The agenda is available at this link.
Please contact Zoë Newman, Chairperson, at chairperson@cupe3903.org for any accessibility requests.

January General Membership Meeting
2026-01-16 11:00 - 14:00 | ON
Notice: Due to inclement weather, this GMM has been moved to virtual-only. Thank you for understanding, and stay warm + safe!
We are hosting a General Membership Meeting on January 16th from 11AM – 2PM! All members are encouraged to attend.
To register for the meeting, click this link. Please register in advance! Make sure to register at the link even if you’re attending in-person so that we can better estimate numbers and you can receive voting ballots via email.
The agenda is linked here.
In order to register, you will need to provide your employee number, which will be kept confidential. Your employee number is on your monthly pay stub. If you don’t know your employee number, please click here for instructions.
If you require any of the following: ASL interpretation, reimbursement for childcare/caregiver/attendant care, or other requests for accommodation, please contact our Staff Representative Equity, Nadia Kanani, at equity@cupe3903.org.

January Stewards' Council
2026-01-20 10:30 - 12:30 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
The next Stewards’ Council meeting will be on January 20 at 10:30AM-12:30PM. It is open to all members, and stewards are especially encouraged to attend.
The meeting will by hybrid, on Zoom at this link and in-person in the CUPE 3903 Office at 143 Atkinson.
You can find the agenda here. This meeting will include important discussions of mobilizing our departments and hiring units as we look forward to bargaining!
Questions? Contact a Lead Steward!

BIPOC Caucus: Carefull Crafting
2026-01-21 13:00 - 17:00 | 124 Atkinson, 96 The Pond Road, North York, Ontario, M3J 2S5, Canada
Join the BIPOC Caucus for a biweekly afternoon of crafts and conversation. Supplies will be provided or you can bring your own projects. All are welcome.

Questions? Contact the BIPOC Caucus Chair, Keisha Bell, at bipoc@cupe3903.org

January TFAC Meeting
2026-01-21 13:30 - 15:30 | CUPE 3903 Office (143 Atkinson), 96 The Pond Road, North York, ON, M3J 2S5, Canada
The Trans Feminist Action Caucus‘ first meeting of 2026 is happening on Wednesday, January 21st at 1:30 PM! It’s hybrid, so you can join on Zoom or in-person at the CUPE office in 143 Atkinson.
TFAC includes all women, trans, genderqueer, and gender variant members of 3903! If you’re part of those groups, we want you there! For TFAC questions, contact Océane Nyela at tfac1@cupe3903.org and/or Orçun Turan at tfac2@cupe3903.org.
Click here to join the meeting virtually via Zoom!
