CUPE 4207

– Photo credit to Colleen Patterson – The Brock News, April 18th, 2024 –

Congrats over 70 Unit 1 Teaching Assistants who received acknowledgment, accolades, and awards at CPI’s TA reception on April 9th! Often overlooked and undervalued, we know that without the teaching supports of unit 1 TAs, the university would not be able to provide proper education and evaluation to its students.

A huge Congratulations to these outstanding award recipients for their hard work and dedication:

Huma Khalid, PhD student in Education – International Teaching Assistant Award

Richard Trotter (BEd ’22), Master of Education student – Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

Sandra Kroeker (BA ’09, MA ’19), PhD student in Child and Youth Studies – Teaching Assistant Award

Read more about it at The Brock News.

This article is an update to the story of the CNIs in CUPE 4207 and the Conciliation meeting. To read the article written before the meeting, click here.

CUPE 4207 held a Solidarity Rally for CNIs at Brock as Conciliation went underway.

Early patrons of the Solidarity Rally on April 4 were greeted by Ron Walker, a Political Science TA and member of CUPE 4207’s first unit.

CNIs are real nurses who do real nursing and deserve a fair wage, said Walker as he held a CUPE flag and Solidarity Rally poster.

Inside the International Centre, CUPE representatives, CNIs and other supporters gathered and conversed. A self-serve breakfast bar provided coffee, tea, pastries and breakfast sandwiches, with vegan options available.

In the hour before the Conciliator arrived, the members of the Unit 4 Bargaining Committee, including Darlene Polich, Monica Hlywka, Rebecca LaRocca and Phil Wachel, were eager to explain just why this meeting was so important.

Polich described how this is a contract years in the making, with discussions about CNIs joining CUPE starting nearly three years ago, and the creation of Unit 4 occurring in 2023. Part of why this is so important is because of the drastic increase in CNIs over the last decade, with 2017 only seeing about 15 CNIs compared to this year’s 50.  … Read more…

The Environmental Justice Committee is planning an Earth Day CUPE Clean up!

Gather at the Glenridge Quarry parking lot (free parking) at 1 pm.

Gloves, bags and snacks provided.

Please wear long boots or socks pulled over your pants.

Plan for 2-3 hours event.

Members of CUPE 3903 have been on strike for seven weeks. (Robert Krbavac/CBC)

The union representing striking academic workers at York University said Monday it has reached a tentative deal with the school.

A representative of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3903 said the tentative agreement was struck Sunday night.

“For the first time in seven weeks, there is a potential deal in sight for workers on the picket lines at York University,” the spokesperson said in an email.

“Workers will now make a decision to accept or reject the offer through a ratification vote by the end of the week. More details on that will be to come.”

Some 3,000 contract instructors, teaching assistants and graduate assistants walked off the job on Feb. 26 after contract negotiations with the university broke down.

Read more here.

Join the Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre on Thursday, April 18th from 1 to 3 pm for a vibrant exploration of Inuksuit crafting with a twist! Led by Director, Cindy Biancaniello, this workshop invites participants to delve into the rich tradition of Inuit stone markers while infusing their creations with a burst of colour using semi-precious stones. Embracing creativity and cultural heritage, attendees will learn the art of balancing stones to construct their unique and dazzling Inuksuit, creating a visually stunning and meaningful experience.

RSVP here.

Members in Good Standing, you would have received the voting ballot by now. Please, fill it in and mail it as soon as possible. The results will be announced at the Annual General Meeting on April 30th.

A Member in Good Standing is a formal membership in the union local that gives the member voice and vote. What is to be done to become MGS? Fill out this form!  You will receive a confirmation and MGS card by the post mail, delivered by members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers 🙂

Interested in getting more involved in your union? Why not become a Department Steward? As per our Bylaws:

8.2 Duties of Stewards
(a) Departmental Stewards shall:
i. Recruit and organize members in their departments and encourage them to become active in the Local.
ii. Act as representatives of the Local to the employees in their departments.
iii. Serve as the liaison between the members they represent and the Lead Steward, and, where applicable, the Faculty Steward and Vice-Presidents.
iv. Advise the members of the departments with regard to matters involving the Collective Agreement.
v. Organize the members to attend GMMs and other Local events.
vi. Distribute information of the Local.
vii. Attend, once per term, a Stewards Council meeting to report on any issues and findings from their work in the departments.
viii. Where appropriate, process the grievances of the members in their departments and represent their members in grievance meetings.
ix. Submit monthly written reports to the Stewards’ Council to report on their activities since the previous meeting. Stewards must submit reports to at least 50% of the Stewards’ Council meetings called to receive out of pocket expenses.

Contact Unit 1 Lead Steward – Brigitte Cecckin if you are interested in learning more: leadunit1@cupe4207.org

RE: Letter to the Board of Trustees – In Support of Brock’s MRP Graduate Students and Graduate Student Workers 

We are the 4207 Young Workers Subcommittee. Our group is a subcommittee of the CUPE 4207 Local’s Equity Committee and represents individuals under 30 years of age employed at Brock University. Aligned with the Union’s objectives, our mission is to improve activism and leadership capabilities among young workers, protect and advocate for their rights, and ensure their voices are heard. 

At the December 7, 2023 Brock Board of Trustees (“BoT”) meeting, the Board approved the 2024-25 Academic Year’s Scholarships, Fellowships, Bursaries and Awards budget which removed all funding for Major Research Paper (MRP) graduate students, with the exception of a one-time merit based entrance award of $3000 (for incoming students with an 82% average). As Young Workers employed at Brock University, we strongly believe that the Board’s decision was an inequitable answer to the University’s difficult economic deficit. Our subcommittee demands that the Board (1) Reinstate funding to all research graduate programs; (2) Distribute cuts equitably across all faculties when cuts cannot be avoided; (3) Include students in any further fiduciary decisions affecting their funding. The purpose of this letter is to show the BoT that Young Workers are paying attention to the decisions they make and we will not stop voicing our concerns until equitable changes are made.  … Read more…