Updates
CUPE 4207 member Adwoa Fosuaa Owusu featured in the Brock News: Horizon scholarship recipient aims to be a global scholar doing local good
The Master of Arts student in Critical Sociology began her academic journey in Ghana, but says she chose to come to study at Brock and “in the global community” to obtain skills and knowledge she can use to make an impact in her home country.
“I believe Africans are the best people to develop Africa,” she says. “We cannot just leave it to the politicians to do their thing. We also have to step in as intellectuals, as academics.”
January 2024 Updates from OPIRG Brock
This semi-regular update report aims to increase communication and awareness about what is happening at OPIRG Brock amongst CUPE 4207 members. More details can be found at 4207.cupe.ca/coalitions/opirg and www.opirgbrock.com/cupe-4207.
Unit 3 Tentative Agreement Reached
Great news: After 5 months of bargaining, the Unit 3 Bargaining Committee has signed a tentative deal with the employer. The contract changes will be discussed and voted on at a Ratification Meeting on Tuesday, December 19. The location and time of the vote will be communicated to all ESL Instructors shortly. Thank you to the bargaining committee for your hard work!
Member Highlight: Adwoa Yeboah Owusu, recipient of Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship
Growing up, Adwoa Yeboah Owusu believed her path to success relied heavily on a single factor: education.
That sentiment still rings true for the Brock Geography master’s student, whose hard work has brought her to Canada from her native Ghana in pursuit of her graduate degree.
“I saw education as means out of poverty and an opportunity to make the world a better place,” Owusu says, reflecting on the emphasis her family placed on higher learning throughout her childhood. “Even though I’m not from a rich background, my father was always keen on education because he believed that it would get his kids to that next level.”
Her hard work and dedication to learning recently saw Owusu selected as one of this year’s 20 Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship recipients
Owusu’s passion, discovered while completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Ghana, lies in human geography, particularly the inequalities that exist between nations.
Through her research at Brock, she plans to examine infant mortality rates in Ghana in hopes of providing effective solutions to help address the issue by informing policy and programs in the African nation.
“Infant mortality rates are important to the development of every country and are also a link to the general health and well-being of people,” she says. “We want to decolonize contributing factors so we can understand those rates and the causes of infant mortality in the Ghanaian context, leading to better solutions.”
Information about updates to the Unit 1 benefits plan
Learn more about changes to the Unit 1 Benefits Package, which is available to members who are not covered by the GSA plan. The Benefits Committee has been working hard and dialoguing regularly with our provider in order to enhance and improve your health and dental package. Download the CUPE 4207 Benefits Presentation for more information including what has changed!
Important message about spam emails
CUPE 4207’s Commitment to Indigenization
Dear Members,
The Executive Committee has discussed the position title of “Chief Steward”. In keeping with our Indigenization incentives and initiatives, we agreed that the position title is no longer suitable for CUPE 4207 and has been changed to “Lead Steward”.
This title change is also reflected in the Lead Steward’s email address: leadunit1@cupe4207.org (any emails that are sent to the previous email address are automatically forwarded to the Lead Steward).
We are very aware of the contentions and discussions surrounding the recent ‘trend’ across North America to remove or change the word ‘chief’ within academia, industry, and corporations. Importantly, there are varying opinions about using ‘chief’ and its meaning amongst Indigenous peoples, tribes, and clans.
Some people have stated that removing the word is an act of tokenism, while others noted that it’s not an Indigenous term (it’s not) and it is an empty gesture. On the other hand, some individuals and groups have noted that it does have significant meaning in their culture and is an honourable title for leaders of tribes. Others have reminded us that the word was and continues to be used as a racist slur towards Indigenous men. Out of respect to Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit Peoples, we will no longer use or include this term in the title of our positions or in describing our roles.
CUPE 4207 understands the importance of our role as academic contract workers in Calls to Action and Reconciliation. The Executive Committee is committed to learning, understanding, and incorporating the Indigenization of Post Secondary Education at Brock University.
Tracy Kennedy,
On behalf of the Executive Committee