Hi everyone,
Bargaining officially began on Friday, October 13. The university agreed to working through non-monetary proposals first (e.g., accommodations, job security). Accordingly, your bargaining team has worked diligently to respond to university proposals to ensure the process moves quickly. It was our hope that we could complete our negotiations on these non-monetary proposals before the end of this semester, and move on to the more pressing and difficult issues regarding our monetary proposals (e.g., wages, funding, benefits) at the beginning of the winter semester.
Unfortunately, despite our willingness to commit to working through this first group of proposals as quickly as possible, the university has not matched our pace or commitment. In fact, they have been quite slow and unserious in responding to our proposals, often only having a few prepared to discuss at our meetings . This means that negotiations on non-monetary proposals will carry on into January. We are doing everything on our part to ensure that we can start negotiating the monetary proposals as soon as possible, though our progress is tied to the university’s willingness to work with us.
How you can help: Applying some pressure to the University
With only one meeting left this semester, it seems that we will need to apply pressure to the university. One way that members can help is by checking our “What’s Your Number?” campaign. We are asking our members to provide the actual amount of money they need to live and work per semester (e.g., tuition, rent, groceries, transport, cell, mental/health care), and to note the difference between that amount and the amount offered by your work assignment and stipend. We have printed up postcards with boxes for people to anonymously write their needed amount vs earned amount to show the university how urgently TAs and Sessionals require increases in their wages and benefits. To fill out a postcard or even just find out more about our campaign, stop by to visit us and grab a free coffee at the University Centre this Wednesday, December 13 (add date) between 10 AM and 2 PM where we will be tabling.
We will be starting other campaigns next semester, so please keep an eye on our website, monthly newsletter, and social media platforms for details. We will need you to help convince the university that we need higher wages, more funding, and a healthier workspace to provide students with a quality education, and to complete your program on time.
As usual, if you have any questions about bargaining, please contact the team at bargaining.committee@cupe3913.on.ca.
CUPE 3913 hopes that you will have a restful break and return ready to work together to forge a stronger collective agreement for now and for the future.