What is a Union?
A labour or trade union is an organization of workers dedicated to protecting members' interests and improving wages, hours, and working conditions for all its members.
How Unions Work
Union members democratically elect their leaders who are then responsible for advocating for the good of the members. Elected leaders have defined terms and are always accountable to the membership they represent. Unions are governed by clear constitutions, bylaws, and other rules that are accessible to and changeable by the membership at regularly held conventions or meetings. (Source: https://canadianlabour.ca/what-unions-do/)
What is CUPE?
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is the country’s largest worker’s organization, serving and representing over 700,000 members. CUPE National represents workers in multiple fields including health care, emergency services, education, early learning and childcare, municipalities, social services, libraries, utilities, transportation, and airlines. There are also CUPE locals in every province in Canada, including CUPE Ontario.
What is CUPE 3913?
The basic unit of a CUPE Union is the local; CUPE 3913 is a local of both CUPE Ontario and CUPE National The members of each CUPE local, by majority vote, set the organizational structure and by-laws of the local (you can find CUPE 3913’s bylaws here). The local represents a group of employees and negotiates the Collective Agreement with the employer (in this case, the University of Guelph), which manages the wages, benefits, and working conditions. Once a Collective Agreement (CA) (see below) is established between the union and the employer, it is the local’s primary task to ensure that it is not violated by the employer or its management. The Collective Agreement is renegotiated every few years, with the aim of improving the workplace and working lives of its members.
CUPE Local 3913 represents two types of workers at the University of Guelph, which are divided into two units, each with separate Collective Agreements. Unit 1, the majority of our membership, is the bargaining unit for all Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) and Graduate Service Assistants (GSAs) employed in work directly related to the academic enterprise, and Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs). Unit 2 is the bargaining unit for members employed under contract as Sessional Lecturers to teach in university degree credit courses.
What is a Collective Agreement?
A Collective Agreement (CA) is a document that outlines the role of the Union and what an employer and employee can and cannot do. For CUPE 3913, the CA serves to ensure a safe and equitable workplace at the University of Guelph for all members. By signing a work agreement, you and the employer are agreeing to abide by the CA.
Our current CA is found on the CUPE 3913 website.
What Does Political Membership Mean?
When you become a TA or Sessional instructor, you are automatically added as a member of CUPE 3913 when you accept a work assignment. When you begin working, you can submit claims for health benefits, attend Union meetings, and file grievances. You will remain a member for four (4) semesters after your last work assignment. This period of time is called your ‘political membership’, and can last as long as you continue to be offered work assignments. Once your four (4) semesters have passed, you will no longer be a member, unless you accept another work assignment.