Committees are an essential part of the union’s work. The work of committees is self-contained, often confidential, and always member-run. Committees adjudicate funds, do research, represent the union on various bodies, and work on specific tasks. Whatever your interests and talents are, if you want to get involved, there’s a committee (or several!) for you.
All committees have a yearly honorarium attached for your participation. These amounts vary between committees depending on the nature and projected volume of the work.
Most committees are elected at the Annual General Meeting that usually takes place in March of every year. Committees that are elected at different times are specified in the descriptions below.
If a position becomes vacant, its vacancy is announced on the CUPE 3903 website and in the CUPE 3903 Newsletter. Members in good standing may then nominate themselves to fill the vacant positions. If only one candidate is nominated, the position is filled by acclamation.
If more than one candidate is nominated, an election is held at the subsequent General Membership Meeting (GMM), during which nominees may make a brief statement of interest. Nominees who are unable to attend may email their statements by the end of the day prior to the GMM to cupe3903vpu1@gmail.com. Their statements will then be read aloud before elections begin at the GMM.
A Vice President or designated member of the Executive Committee shall be a member, ex-officio, of each internal committee and shall help coordinate the activities of members of external committees. Each committee will submit a brief written report on its activities to each membership meeting and a final report at the end of its term
Questions about fund disbursement? Please direct all requests for information regarding the disbursement of member funds to the Secretary-Treasurer (sectreasurer3903@gmail.com) or Vice-President Unit 1 (cupe3903vpu1@gmail.com). The Financial Coordinator is not responsible for handling these inquiries. Thank you for your cooperation.
Please note: This page has recently been updated to reflect bylaw amendments relating to committees that were passed at the February 2025 General Membership Meeting.
Need to reference the previous version of the page? Click here for a PDF of the previous version!
Fund Adjudicating Committees
These committees are primarily responsible for adjudicating applications to the various union funds and making sure members get their money!
Internal Fund Adjudicating Committees
Internal fund adjudication committees adjudicate Collective Agreement funds administered by CUPE 3903.
Childcare Committee
The purpose of this committee is to facilitate the disbursement of Childcare Fund among CUPE 3903 members. Part of the work of this committee will be mobilizing members to apply for this fund, reaching out to all members with childcare needs, and inputting the data collected. The committee consists of three general members and one Childcare Coordinator and is elected annually.
Honorarium: $400 per year, per general member position, $650 per year per Childcare Coordinator.
The committee can be reached at 3903childcare@gmail.com.
Extended Health Benefits (EHB) Committee
The primary responsibility of members on this committee is to regularly review applications submitted to the Extended Health Benefits Fund. The committee will regularly convene to review applications, making the difficult decisions as to how to distribute our limited funds. Consideration of individual cases should involve an accessibility lens, understanding that members with disabilities and chronic illnesses have diverse health needs. The time commitment will vary from week to week based on the number of claims received. Committee members should be relatively available throughout the year. There are four general member positions on this committee and one Extended Health Benefits Coordinator position.
Honorarium: $1,500 per year, per general member position, $2,000 per year for the EHB Coordinator.
The committee can be reached at ehb3903@gmail.com.
Mentorship Program Fund Committee
The Mentoring Fund Committee distributes the Mentorship Fund in the Collective Agreements of Units 1, 2, and 3. Fund disbursements will be adjudicated by two elected members and the Equity Officer as an ex-officio member.
Honorarium: $250 per year, per position.
Professional Development Fund Committee
This Committee has three elected representatives: the PDF Coordinator, and two PDF Representatives. The PDF Coordinator administers the PDF Fund throughout the contract year in accordance with established guidelines, and is the primary contact person for members. One of the Coordinator’s tasks is to chair four meetings to adjudicate the distribution of the Professional Development Fund and the Tuition Costs Fund. The PDF Coordinator is responsible for adjudicating the Tuition Cost Fund with the Director of the Teaching Commons.
The PDF Coordinator is also responsible for the actual disbursement of funds and for the general upkeep of the PDF email account. The PDF Coordinator is also a member of the Teaching Commons Executive Board and is CUPE 3903’s primary and ongoing connection to the Teaching Commons. The representatives are elected for a one-year term at the November general meeting of the membership (GMM). (See APPENDIX E – Professional Development Fund).
Honorarium for the PDF Coordinator: $1000
Honorarium for the PDF Representatives: $600
You can contact the committee at pdf3903@gmail.com.
Sexual Assault Survivor Support Fund Committee
The Sexual Assault Survivor Fund (SASSF) Committee understands that sexual assault can impact many areas of a member’s life. The fund supports survivors to offset costs such as counselling, legal support and lost wages. Members can draw on this fund to an annual maximum of $3000. The Committee recognizes that legal support can be very expensive and will consider adjusting the yearly maximum based on need.
Support Fund for Racialized Members Committee
This fund will be adjudicated by two members and the Staff Representative Equity as an ex-officio member. The purpose of this committee is to facilitate the distribution of the Support Fund for Members who Experience Racial Discrimination, Harassment, and Violence in our Collective Agreement.
Honorarium: $500 per year, per position.
Trans Fund Committee
The Trans Feminist Action Caucus (TFAC) establishes a Trans Fund Committee to oversee the CUPE 3903 Trans Fund. The Committee will consist of three members of the Caucus elected annually. Their responsibilities will include advertising and promoting the Fund, receiving and reviewing applications, adjudicating applications and determining disbursements as per the Trans Fund policies and procedures, and liaising with the Executive and Trustees to ensure timely disbursement of awarded funds and the safe and confidential provision of records required for accounting purposes, as negotiated between the Committee and Executive with a view toward ensuring the safety and confidentiality of applicants.
For further details, TFAC can be reached at TFAC.cupe3903@gmail.com. The committee can be reached at 3903transcaucus@gmail.com.
Ways & Means Fund Committee
This committee meets as often as is required to assess applications to the Ways and Means Fund and to disburse funds. Three general representatives and one Ways & Means Coordinator are elected for a one-year term at the General Membership Meeting (GMM).
Honorarium: $750 per general member per year, $1000 per year for the Ways & Means Coordinator. The committee can be reached at cupe3903waysandmeans@gmail.com.
External Fund Adjudicating Committees
External fund adjudication committees adjudicate Collective Agreement funds administered by the Employer.
Bursaries Committee
Two members from the union meet four times per year with representatives of the employer and the Faculty of Graduate Studies in order to evaluate applications and oversee disbursements for four different need-based bursaries: GA Bursary Fund, Master’s Bursary Fund, Ph.D. Completion Fund, and Graduate Student Bursary. Committee representatives are not eligible for the bursaries.
Honorarium: $250 per year per member.
Research Costs Fund Committee
The Research Costs Fund Committee consists of two representatives. This committee is coordinated through FGS and meets twice a year for about 4 hours each time. Before each meeting, the members read the applications (about 3 hours) and decide how to break down awards for the fund. This committee adjudicates the Research Costs Fund – open to all full-time graduate students who have been or are currently members of Unit 1.
Honorarium: $250 per member per year.
Research Grants Fund & Travel Costs Fund Committee
The Research Grants Fund and Travel Costs Fund Committee consists of two members from Unit 2. This committee, working with YUFA, decides on allocation of the major and minor research grants, and on travel grants. There are 3 or 4 meetings per year. Most of the time requirement is in preparation for the meetings, since the files can be quite lengthy. Members of the committee are ineligible to apply for these funds. The representatives are elected for a one-year term in September.
Honorarium: $500 per position per year.
Research Leave Adjudicating Committee
The Research Leave Adjudicating Committee reviews the Research Leave applications of Unit 2 members in the Affirmative Action (“Conversion”) Pool and awards as many Research Leaves (“Sabbaticals”) as are guaranteed through the Collective Agreement. The committee consists of a non-voting CUPE 3903 participant/observer from Unit 2 in addition to three full-time faculty members (including a designate of the Associate VP Research) and a supporting Committee secretary. The representative is elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $250 per year.
Member: Linda Carozza.
Teaching Development Fund Committee
The Teaching Development Fund Committee meets as necessary to review application files and make selections for the Major and Minor Teaching Grants yearly competition. The committee is comprised of two elected members of Unit 2, one full-time faculty member, and a representative of the Centre for the Support of Teaching.
Honorarium: $250 per position per year.
Internal Union Business Committees
These committees work on special projects and issues that are internal to the running of CUPE 3903.
Accessibility Committee
The Accessibility Committee works to implement accessibility measures and eliminate barriers faced by people with disabilities on York University campuses and in both in-person and online union spaces. It provides guidance to the Executive Committee, other committees, and the membership, including about accessibility standards required by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). The Accessibility Committee may consult with the Staff Representative Equity on its work and to coordinate training other committees to fulfill the Accessibility Committee’s mandate. The Accessibility Committee will make written recommendations as necessary to the Executive Committee and/or the membership.
Two members, ideally with lived experience of disability and/or chronic illness, are elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $250 per year, per position.
Affordable Housing Committee
The York Affordable Housing Committee (AHC) is a coalition of students, staff, and faculty working towards the creation of affordable co-operative housing in the vicinity of York University. The committee works to build capacity and partnerships, conduct research, and apply for funding. CUPE 3903 is entitled to two (2) voting delegates. Each delegate will be elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $250 per year, per position
Archive Committee
The Archive Committee keeps the 3903 Archives, which are necessary for the preservation of institutional memory. Two curators and one Coordinator are responsible for creating and subsequently maintaining an archival finds for the local; encouraging members to look for and donate their sources to the 3903 collection; transmitting sources to the 3903 collection; organising at least one annual event on any given 3903/archive-related topic; acquainting themselves with the collection’s index and informing members and non-members on the available documents and their degree of accessibility; officiating as go-betweens for members wishing to talk to an archivist; and issuing calls for testimonies. The CUPE 3903 Archive Curators are elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $300 per year per curator, $500 per year for the Archive Coordinator.
Email the Archive Committee with your archival finds and queries: cupe3903archive@gmail.com
Bargaining Research and Preparation Committee
The purpose of this committee is to support the ongoing research and logistical needs of the local in regards to bargaining preparation. Part of the work of this Committee will be surveying the membership regarding potential proposals and ongoing collective agreement concerns, reporting on comparative language in other collective agreements, and further researching matters arising from survey results. The committee consists of three members and is elected annually.
Honorarium: $500 per year, per position.
Communications Committee
The Communications Committee is responsible for coordinating CUPE 3903 communications, including maintaining and updating the CUPE 3903 website, maintaining a social media presence, and taking on communications projects and campaigns. The Communications Committee also has an accessibility mandate to assist with implementing features like alt-text, captions, and other communications accessibility measures. The Communications Committee meets at least once per month. The Communications Committee consists of two general members and one Bilingualism Representative.
Honorarium: $250 per year, per general member position; $350 per year for the Bilingualism Representative.
Distribution Committee
This committee consists of 4 members who are responsible for distributing printed materials to departmental mailboxes and putting up posters at a $30 per diem, with the normal workload being one day per month. Members are elected for a one-year term. Members of the Distribution Committee should expect to physically distribute materials across large areas of campus, including putting up posters and flyering.
Elections Officer
The role of the Elections Officer is to organize the elections as per the bylaws. Most of the work is around the annual election that occurs between late January and early March, but they are also responsible for any by-elections that may be held during the year. The work includes accepting the nominations and arranging and setting-up online voting, as well as (alongside the Executive Committee) communicating the details of the elections to the membership. Current members of the executive are ineligible for these positions. Additionally, the Election Officer may not run for executive positions in the election for which they serve.
Honorarium: $250 per year.
The Elections Officer can be reached at cupe3903eo@gmail.com.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee consists of two members who are not Trustees and provides rank-and-file research support, assistance, and advice to the Secretary-Treasurer on both short- and long-term fiscal priorities and sustainability strategies. The committee meets at least once per month. The Secretary-Treasurer oversees the committee and chairs meetings.
Honorarium: $250 per position per year.
International Graduate Students’ Committee (IGSC)
The IGSC advocates for international graduate student members of CUPE 3903. The IGSC normally has two elected members who coordinate the affairs of the IGSC. The IGSC has an annual budget of $5000. Committee members are elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $250 per member per year. The committee can be reached at igsc.cupe3903@gmail.com.
Union Trustees’ Committee
One trustee is elected each year, and sits for a three-year term (in other words, the committee has a total of three members). The trustees review and audit the union’s accounts to ensure compliance with all legal requirements and to ensure transparent and legitimate usage of all union funds. The audit is carried out at the end of the fiscal year, with most meetings held in April or May.
Honorarium: $1000 per member per year.
Members: Gordon Craig (term ends 2026), Elena Chou (term ends 2027).
External Union Business Committees
These committees represent CUPE 3903 in various bodies sitting across from the employer, working with the broader York community, and with the labour movement more generally.
Advisory Committee on Race/Ethnic Relations, Discrimination and/or Harassment
The mandate of this joint committee of CUPE 3903 and York University is to discuss and investigate systemic and/or individual discrimination, interference, restriction, harassment or coercion exercised or practiced with respect to any union member in her employment relationship, by reason of race, colour, nationality, ancestry, place of origin or native language. The committee works closely with the Anti-Racism Working Group and may also make recommendations to the Labour-Management Committee. The committee is elected for a one-year term and consists of at least two CUPE 3903 representatives from any unit, one of which will be the joint-chair who will alternate with management’s joint Chair to preside over joint committee meetings.
Honorarium: $250 per year per member.
All-University Pensions Committee
The All-University Pension Committee is an advisory body that meets once or twice per year to formulate policy around pension issues. CUPE 3903’s representative will attend all committee meetings, represent members’s interests to the committee, and report on pension developments to the membership. The CUPE 3903 representative is elected for a one-year term.
The CUPE 3903 representative is elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $100 per year.
Coalition of Student Employee Unions (CSEU) Representatives
The CSEU is a coalition of unions representing student employee with the purpose to facilitate communication and collective action between its members and to advance the aims of the student employee unionization movement. It meets once per month, as well as holds one annual general meeting.
As per CSEU’s bylaws, CUPE 3903 is entitled to two (2) voting delegates. Each delegate is elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $250 per year, per position.
CUPE Toronto District Council
The CUPE Toronto District Council is comprised of all affiliated CUPE locals in Toronto. It meets once per month. Four (4) delegates will be elected for a one-year term. Delegates will serve on the CUPE 3903 External Committee, attend and participate in monthly District Council meetings, coordinate their activities to represent the Local’s interests at the Council and ensure that the Council’s deliberations (including meeting minutes) are reported to Local’s Vice Presidents, External Committee and membership, and make recommendations to the External Committee, Executive Committee, and membership to facilitate the Local’s participation in the wider labour movement.
Honorarium: $250 per year per member.
Employment Equity Committee
Having access to census material and money to solicit an Employment Equity survey, the committee’s mandate includes setting goals and timetables for the elimination of discriminatory practices and systemic barriers to equal opportunity. Issues to be addressed include recruitment of employees, selection procedures, job postings, employer training, salaries and benefits, and working conditions. The committee will consist of three union representatives, one of which will be the Joint Chair. Preference will be given to members from each of the designated groups.
Honorarium: $250 per member per year.
External Committee
This Committee will help facilitate and coordinate the Local’s involvement with the wider labour movement and members’ participation in union conferences. The Committee consists of the Local’s Vice Presidents and elected representatives on the CUPE Toronto District Council and the Toronto and York Region Labour Council. Other Executive Committee members may attend and participate in the committee’s deliberations. The External Committee meets at least once every two months or as necessary. A Vice President will chair meetings, keep records, and report the committee’s activities and recommendations to the Executive Committee and membership. Members who attend conferences and conventions on behalf of the Local will meet with the committee beforehand.
Honorarium: no additional honorarium.
Health & Safety Committee
Joint Health and Safety Committees are made up of employee and employer representatives who meet to evaluate and address workplace health and safety problems and issues. 3903 JHSC representatives consist of fourteen elected representatives, which include one JHSC Coordinator and thirteen committee members.
They act as advocates for members on all health and safety matters, investigate accidents and work stoppages involving our members, inspect workspaces relevant to our members, meet with management to discuss all of the above, and make sure everything is followed up. Consideration of systemic health and safety issues should involve an accessibility lens, understanding that members with disabilities and chronic illnesses are often disproportionately impacted by health and safety concerns.
Honorarium: there is no direct honorarium, although the employer sets aside money annually to pay committee members an hourly wage for work done, paid at the marker/grader rate.
Email the Health and Safety Committee: cupe3903jhscreps@gmail.com
Labour-Management Committee
Per the Units 1, 2, and 3 Collective Agreements, the Labour-Management Committee (LMC) comprises five union representatives, including one elected representative from each Unit, one Executive Committee member chosen by the Executive, and one staff member. The LMC meets with management about once a month and is charged with facilitating the implementation and interpretation of Collective Agreements and making recommendations to the Union and/or the Employer concerning its discussions and conclusions. The Local’s LMC representatives will also hold a planning meeting in preparation for each joint LMC meeting. The LMC will choose one member to serve as the Local’s joint Co-Chair. The Unit 4 LMC consists of three representatives. The Labour-Management Committee is elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $250 per year, per position; $500 per year for the Co-Chair.
Postings Officers
The Posting Officers review all job postings for conformity with the Collective Agreements (e.g., qualifications required and preferred by the employer, description of duties, pay rate). Where postings do not conform with the Collective Agreements, the Postings Officers discusses them with the Employer’s postings officer to attempt to remedy the situation. If discussion does not result in a prompt remedy, the Postings Officer initiates grievances through the Grievance Committee and/or Stewards’ Council.
Honorarium: $2,500 per member per year. There are two general Postings Officers and one Nursing-specific Postings Officer.
Senate Representative
The Senate Representative represents the interests of CUPE 3903 at the York University Senate. This body includes representatives from all faculties, librarians, students, and other unions, and usually meets once a month. CUPE 3903 has one seat, elected for a one-year term.
Honorarium: $250 per year.
Member: Catherine Swenson (primary), Anson Nater (alternate).
Toronto & York Region (TYRLC) Labour Council Representatives
The TYRLC includes affiliated locals across the labour movement in the Toronto and York region. The Labour Council champions four pillars of justice—economic, social, racial, and climate—to improve the lives of its members and their communities in our workplaces, our politics, our communities, and our world. It meets once per month.
Five (5) delegates will be elected for a one-year term. Delegates will serve on the CUPE 3903 External Committee, attend and participate in monthly TYRLC meetings, coordinate their activities to represent the Local’s interests at the TYRLC Council and ensure that the Council’s deliberations (including meeting minutes) are reported to Local’s Vice Presidents, External Committee and membership, and make recommendations to the External Committee, Executive Committee, and membership to facilitate the Local’s participation in the wider labour movement.
Honorarium: $250 per year, per position.
York University Pension Board of Trustees Representative
The Board of Trustees of the York Pension Fund oversee investments in the York University Pension Plan. It administers the pension’s Trust Fund according to the terms of the Trust Agreement, subject to the provisions of the Pension Benefits Act concerning the investment of such funds. The Board, which includes members of the university’s administration, Board of Governors, and campus unions, meets approximately four times per year.
Honorarium: $250 per year.