Unit 5

Unit 5 has Voted to Ratify their First Tentative Agreement

The Unit 5 Ratification Vote results are in:

87.5% Voted YES to ratify their FIRST tentative agreement with the Employer.

What happens next?

We have notified the employer of the result of our vote. The employer will bring the agreement to the Board of Trustees for ratification. Once both sides have ratified, the agreement will be implemented. We will share the finalized agreement with Unit 5 members as soon as it is available.

Thank you to all members who participated in the ratification vote.

Together we are stronger!

Coffee & Tea Drop in

Join us for complimentary Coffee, Tea, & Snacks in the Union Lounge GLN A 121 starting Feb 11th, 2026.

Stop by and say hello! Get answers to your questions about workload or your work, meet your Stewards and Executive Members and get to know us!

We look forward to seeing you!

February General Membership Meeting

February General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, February 24th @ 4:30 – in person and on Zoom.

A light dinner will be served for in person attendees.

Registration is required for all attendees, whether in person or online.

Advance registration (24 hours) is required to receive an electronic ballot for any elections.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6-g6wZeNSFSpcpxGSBClLA

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

A reminder that you must be a Member in Good Standing to participate in union meetings. More information HERE.

Agenda items include:
-Election of a Three Member Elections Committee
-Election of Delegates for the CUPE Ontario Convention May 26-30th, 2026
-Bargaining Updates for all Units

Unit 5 Reaches Tentative Agreement

CUPE 4207 Unit 5 reached a tentative agreement after nine hours of intensive negotiations. This outcome reflects the strength, unity, and determination of the Unit 5 Bargaining team throughout the bargaining process. The tentative agreement will be brought forward to members for ratification in the coming days.  

#cupe #solidarity #faircontract 

Strike Support Committee – Get Involved!

CUPE 4207’s Strike Support Committee is meeting weekly to build our collective strength and ensure we are organized, informed, and ready to support members if job action becomes necessary. This is where planning happens; support strategies, member outreach, and coordination across our units.

Meetings are held every Monday at 1:00 p.m. All members are encouraged to participate. Getting involved is one of the most direct ways to build solidarity, stay informed, and help protect fair wages, job security, and working conditions.

Click HERE to register or scan the QR code in the poster.

JOIN US!! TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER!

Unit 5 members have delivered a strong mandate: 86% voted YES.

Unit 5 members have delivered a strong mandate: 86% voted YES.

The Unit 5 Strike Mandate vote reflects a shared call for fair wages, job security, and reasonable class sizes that protect both workers and students. With conciliation set for Friday, January 23rd at the International Centre, we are urging the employer to come to the table prepared to address these priorities. Our members want a fair agreement, and they are united in standing up for quality education.

Learning Conditions Matter. Our Students Matter. Fair wages, job security, and reasonable class sizes are essential to maintaining high-quality education at Brock and in providing meaningful support to our students.

General Membership Meeting

Calling all members!
Join in person or Zoom – November 26th at 4:30 p.m. for an important union meeting. A light dinner will be served in person in Plaza 600F.

We’ll provide bargaining updates, answer your questions about the process, and hold key elections:

  • Elect the Unit 3 Bargaining Committee
  • Elect the Vice-President for Unit 1

We also have our Steward Elections!!!: Unit Stewards, Instructor Steward, International Student Steward, and Department Stewards. More information can be found in our bylaws 8.1.1 & 8.1.2 (pages 14-15). A list of departments can be found on pages 28-29.

Stewards are the heart of CUPE 4207. They’re the connection between members and the union by supporting coworkers, sharing updates, and making sure our collective agreement is respected. It’s a great way to build leadership experience, strengthen our union, and make a difference in your department.

If you care about fairness at work and want your coworkers’ voices heard, consider running for Steward. Your voice matters, and so does your leadership.

In order to vote, you must register 24 hours in advance to be eligible to vote either in person or online. You must be a Member in Good Standing to attend union meetings.

Your participation is essential — make sure your voice is heard!

Unit 5 Solidarity Breakfast!

Unit 5 Solidarity Breakfast!

Friday, November 21st
International Centre Lobby
9:30-10:30am

Join us in supporting our Unit 5 Faculty of Education Instructors while they bargain with the employer.

Complimentary Breakfast Sandwiches, Coffee, Tea, & Hot Chocolate!

TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER!

WE DEMAND FAIR WAGES! JOB SECURITY! REASONABLE CLASS SIZES!

CUPE 4207’s Solidarity Rally & Community BBQ Draws Widespread Support Across Niagara

The Niagara labour community came out in force on Thursday, October 23rd to support CUPE 4207’s Solidarity Rally & Community BBQ, held outside Glenridge A at Brock University. The event brought together workers, students, and community allies in a powerful show of solidarity and unity for CUPE 4207’s Unit 1 (Instructors, Course Coordinators, Teaching Assistants, Lab Demonstrators, and Marker-Graders) and Unit 5 (Faculty of Education Instructors) as they continue to fight for a fair deal at the bargaining table. 

The community solidarity rally highlighted three key issues central to both bargaining units:

Fair Wages: keeping pace with the rising cost of living;

Class & Seminar Sizes: protecting quality education and working conditions for in-person and virtual learning spaces;

Preference in Instructor Hiring for PhD Students: balancing teaching opportunities fairly so that there is no risk to academic progress, and so that no teaching group is used to undermine another teaching group.

The event was well attended and strongly supported by Union locals across the Niagara region, including: CUPE Locals 9102, 1263, 4156, 1317, 911, 1295, 2328, and 2977, as well as members of BUFA (Librarians and Faculty Members), OSSTF Local 35, OSSTF District 22, OSBCU, COPE 343, and the Niagara Regional Labour Council. Community organizations, such as the United Way and local political allies, including City Councillor Caleb Batzlaff and representation from MPP Jennie Stevens’ office (NDP), also joined in solidarity.

Undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows from Brock University added their voices, emphasizing that improving working conditions for CUPE 4207 members means improving learning conditions for students. “I was the last one to arrive in my seminar and it was standing room only – there was no chair for me to sit in. It was awful,” shared an undergraduate student.

“We’re fighting not just for fair wages, but for the integrity of education at Brock,” said Tracy Kennedy, Vice President Unit 1 Instructors for CUPE 4207. “When instructors and teaching assistants are overworked and underpaid, students lose out. The show of support at our Solidarity Rally and BBQ proves that this fight belongs to everyone in the Niagara Community, and the labour movement across the province.”

The message was clear: the Niagara community is united in demanding fairness, respect, and quality education at Brock. 

CUPE 4207 Unit 1 and Unit 5 members won’t back down until wages, class sizes, and hiring practices reflect the true value of the education its members deliver.

#MakeItFair

“Job security, fair pay, and benefits for contract faculty will deliver fairness for workers and protect the high‐quality education our students deserve.”

Many thanks to the Academic supporters who work with us everyday and see our value and contribution to the university: Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA), Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), and Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA).

When Brock chooses cuts over investment, it traps contract workers in unstable jobs with low pay and no job security. Precarity isn’t an accident. It’s the business model that austerity builds. It’s the model that Brock uses to keep contract workers paid unfairly and bumps long-term contract holders out of their work.

We say: NO AUSTERITY. NO PRECARITY. NO CONCESSIONS.

We won’t be nickle & dimed anymore. Our work is vital to this university.