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Election Update from the Elections Committee:

Dear Members,

Voting in the CUPE4207 annual elections continues! There are a few important updates we would like all members to be aware of: 

1. The election for Lead Stewart Unit 1 is being re-run due to technical error. The elections committee apologies for the error and any confusion it has caused. In the interest of fairness, the elections committee has declared the ballot sent out Saturday, March 28 invalid and has issued a new ballot Monday, March 30. 
2. The round normally scheduled to go out this Friday will be pushed to Saturday due to Friday being a stat holiday. Please look for your ballot after 6 pm on Saturday.

The voting schedule for 2026 is as follows:

Round 1 (CLOSED): Thursday, March 26, 6 pm until Saturday, March 28, 6:30 pm (This was for VP Unit 1 Grad, VP Unit 1 Instructor, delegates to Niagara District CUPE Council, and delegate to Niagara Regional Labour Council.)

Round 2 (INVALID DUE TO TECHNICAL ERROR): Saturday, March 28, 6 pm until Monday, March 30, 6 pm 

Round 3: Monday, March 30, 6 pm until Wednesday, April 1, 6 pm (Lead Stewart Unit 1 and Niagara Region Labour Council rep)

Round 4: Wednesday, April 1, 6:30 pm until Friday, April 3, 6 pm.

Round 5: Saturday, April 4, 6:00 pm until Monday, April 6, 6 pm*.

Round 6: Monday, April 6, 6:00 pm until Wednesday, April 8, 6 pm.

Round 7 (if needed): Wednesday, April 8, 6:00 pm until Friday, April 10, 6 pm.

*Round five would normally fall on Friday evening (48 hours after round four), but as Friday, April 3 is a stat holiday, the Elections Committee will send out the ballot on Saturday.

Voting is open for 48 hours after each ballot is sent out. There will be multiple rounds of ballots, as a winning candidate must obtain the majority of votes cast (CUPE4207 Bylaw 7-12). Ballots are sent by email to all members in good standing (MGS) to the email address they have given the union. 

If you cannot see your ballot in your inbox, please check your junk mail/spam folders and add CUPE4207 to your email address book. Each ballot is open for 48 hours.

When all positions have been filled and voting rounds are completed, the elections committee will send out the official results. We will also email all candidates directly.

Thank you for participating in this vital function of our local!

The Elections Committee,Alison Innes, Tanima Ferdous, Sandra Kroeker

Unit 1 Members on Benefits! Tax season is upon us!

You can request a confirmation of premiums received for health insurance for 2025 from CanBen.

Email your request to: brockenroll@canben.com

The Unit 4 (Clinical Nursing Instructors) Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement with the employer.

There will be two Ratification Vote Presentations for Unit 4 Members.

Wednesday, April 1st at 10 am on Zoom

Register HERE.

Wednesday, April 1st at 4pm on Zoom.

Register HERE:

The Ratification vote will begin after the second presentation.

By The Canadian Press
Published: February 12, 2026 at 10:49AM EST

TORONTO — Ontario is giving colleges and universities billions in new funding, while lifting a seven-year tuition fee freeze and cutting back on the amount of student assistance grants.

The moves are in response to a post-secondary financial crisis, following years of low levels of government funding, stagnant domestic tuition levels since 2019 and sharply reduced numbers of international students and the high tuition fees institutions can charge them.

Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn has been reviewing the post-secondary funding formula and announced changes Thursday that will amount to $6.4 billion in additional money over four years.

“If we want Ontario to have a competitive workforce tomorrow, we need to strengthen our post-secondary institutions today, and that’s exactly what our government is doing,” Quinn said.

How will this impact tuition fees and grant funding

The additional funding includes money for 70,000 more seats for in-demand programs, increased funding for programs that are more expensive for the schools to offer and more per-student funding.

Colleges and universities will also be able to raise tuition fees by up to two per cent per year for the next three years. After that period of time, tuition fee increases will be limited to either two per cent or the average inflation rate, whichever is lower.

The government is also decreasing the proportion of grants offered through the Ontario Student Assistance Program, relying much more heavily on loans. The current proportion is about 85 per cent grants to 15 per cent loans, the government said, but starting this fall students will receive a maximum of 25 per cent of their OSAP funding as grants.

Why is the province doing this

Demand for OSAP has been rising significantly and the growth was unsustainable, Quinn said.

“This will ensure sustainability and balance for the system,” he said. “We want to ensure that all students in future generations have access to OSAP as well.”

In line with federal government changes, students at private career colleges will no longer be eligible for grants through OSAP, only loans.

How Ontario post-secondary intitutions are reacting

Representatives from universities and colleges said the funding and ability to implement “modest” tuition-fee increases will ease the pressures they were facing.

“This new investment strengthens the very foundation our universities provide, greater sustainability and long-term planning to support our students and local communities,” said Steve Orsini, president and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities.

Colleges, which have been particularly hard hit by cuts to the number of international students, also welcomed the announcement.

“Ontario public college graduates are essential across a wide range of industries, including advanced manufacturing, construction, transportation, mining and energy and health care,” said Maureen Adamson, president and CEO of Colleges Ontario.

“College graduates are the boots on the ground. Skilled workers are needed more than ever, and this funding expands regional opportunities for learners and employers alike.”

https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/politics/queens-park/article/ontario-lifting-post-secondary-tuition-freeze-boosting-funding

Special General Membership Meeting

December 10th @ 4:30 pm – Zoom Only

One Agenda Item:

Election of 10 Attendees for the Ontario University Workers Coordinating Committee (OUWCC) Conference, Feb. 26 – March 1 (finishes at noon). https://cupe.on.ca/sectors/university/

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KrBBLMTaSHioRBbtkRP82Q

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Note:  You must register 24 hours in advance to be able to vote. Cut off date is Dec 9th at 4:30pm.

You must be a Member in Good Standing to attend Union events, meetings, elections, and so forth. Please complete the MIGS form here, print, and you can take a picture of it and email it if you don’t have a scanner: info@cupe4207.org

The Brock Press featured an article about CUPE 4207 Unit 1 and Unit 5 Bargaining.

You can find the article HERE.

Many thanks to Adhi Murday for reaching out to us for the interview.

Dear Unit 1 Members,

We are writing to update you on the status of bargaining and to ask for your participation in a Strike Mandate Vote.

After months at the table, the employer has not moved meaningfully on the issues that matter most to Unit 1 members. We entered bargaining with clear, reasonable, and urgently needed priorities: fair wages, adequate benefit funding, and manageable workloads. These priorities came directly from you through surveys and consultations.

Unfortunately, the employer continues to fall short in all three areas:

1. Wages that reflect our work: Our wages have not kept pace with inflation, rising living costs, or the escalating demands placed on instructors, teaching assistants, course coordinators, marker-graders, and lab demonstrators. The employer’s offer so far does not address the real erosion in our pay.

We deserve compensation that recognizes the professional, academic, and emotional labour we provide every single week.

2. Benefits that actually meet members’ needs: The Unit 1 benefit fund is stretched to the breaking point. Members run out of benefit dollars long before the end of the academic year, forcing many to pay out of pocket for basic health, dental, and vision needs.

We are pushing for increased benefit funding so you are not left competing for limited resources or choosing between your health and your wallet.

3. Workload protections that keep teaching sustainable: Class sizes, course demands, and administrative tasks continue to grow without the support, compensation, or protections required to do this work effectively and fairly.

We are fighting for clearer workload language, reasonable class and seminar sizes, and protections against unpaid work.

These are not extravagant asks. These are the essentials required to maintain high-quality working and learning conditions at Brock University.

Why a Strike Mandate Now? A strong strike mandate does not mean going on strike. It means giving your bargaining team the power to demand better, and ensuring the employer finally takes our issues seriously. Historically, at CUPE 4207 and across the postsecondary sector, strong strike mandates are the single most effective tool to secure a fair deal without job action.

We have scheduled three Strike Mandate Presentations and we encourage you to attend one of the three Hybrid sessions:

Wed, Dec 3 at 10:00 AM in WH 204 & Zoom;

Thu, Dec 4 at 12:00 PM in GLN A 164 & Zoom;

Thu, Dec 4 at  6:00 PM in GLN A 164 & Zoom.

Your Vote Matters! Voting opens on Thursday, Dec 4th at 8:00 PM and closes on Thursday, Dec 11th at 8:00 PM. All current Unit 1 contract holders will be emailed a link to the electronic ballot.

This vote is your opportunity to show the employer that Unit 1 members deserve wages that keep you afloat, benefits that protect your health, and workloads that respect your time and expertise.

We can achieve this together, with a strong, united YES vote.

In solidarity,

Your Unit 1 Bargaining Committee,

Tracy Kennedy (Chair), Kendra-Lee Dupuis, Brigitte Cecckin, Tracy Stewart, Darrin Sunstrum, Phil Wachel

Click HERE for a Strike Mandate Vote FAQ

A message from OPIRG Brock….

We are hosting a Free Winter and Household Item Pick Up with Brock International and Brock Faith and Life Centre. Link to event: https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/303042

Wednesday, November 12 2025, 1:30pm EST

Alphie’s Trough – Faith and Life Centre, Brock University

We are also in need of donations of winter gear, shoes, bedding/linens, towels, and kitchen/household items. You can drop off donations at the following locations during their open hours:

• Fine Grind Cafe – 37 James St., St. Catharines
• Lock Street Brewing Co. (Bedding and towels only) – 15 Lock St., St. Catharines
• At the event

For more info & upcoming Free Store dates, visit our website at www.opirgbrock.com/niagarafreestore 

Hope to see you there!

Niagara Free Store Team

Once again we invite all members out to board game night. Come to the Sanky Chambers at 6:30 Wed Oct 29th for great board games and some chips, pop and other snacks. Wet wipes will be provided. Please send any game or snack request to Dan the M.O.O.

We need to show our presence on the Thursday BBQ and we need some good signs to help out. Come on out to lend a hand and make some amazing signs. Come to the Union office in Glenridge A121, Wednesday October 22nd 12:30-4:00pm.