CUPE Local 3913
25 University Avenue East N1G 1M8 Guelph, ON, Canada

Hi everyone, This past week we had our third meeting with the University (the employer) to present several more of our proposals, and to respond to theirs. There is not much else to say regarding the substance of this meeting; we are planning to complete our proposals at our next meeting on November 29, and we have asked the employer to do the same. Our final meeting of the year will be on December 11. We will break until the new year, when the negotiations will begin in earn...est. In these next two meetings we will be raising wage and benefits issues, as well as our tuition indexation proposal, which is one of our key asks in this round of bargaining. I wish to remind you of the meeting on Monday, December 9, at 7:00 in UC 442 where we will make our case and hold a strike vote. I cannot emphasize to you enough the importance of a robust member turnout and a strong ‘yes’ vote; it will give us the leverage we need to ensure that we come to an equitable agreement with the employer. At that meeting we will be making the case for a strong strike vote, so please attend if you are able. I wish to also note that members who cannot make the meeting will have the opportunity to vote on Tuesday December 10 and Wednesday December 11. You will be able to drop in from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on both days at the union office (25 University Avenue East) and vote. Guelph-Humber members will be sent a postage-paid envelope and a ballot that they can mail back to the union. We wish as many of us to have a voice in this very important bargaining round. Last, the fight to get tuition indexation into our CA will require our combined efforts. The employer will likely refuse to negotiate on this matter, so we will need to apply the outside pressure needed to convince them to bargain this proposal. We need to speak in one voice, and we need all of your voices. We will keep you updated on activities or campaigns on this issue; as with the strike vote, the more of us participate and speak, the louder and more forceful the message.

Bargaining Update #3 Hi everyone, We met with the employer (representatives of the University) last Friday in our second round of bargaining. The employer submitted their responses to the proposals we presented last week on the hiring process, which included issues of qualifications, skills and abilities, seniority, coverage of required work assignments, and the question of departments fulfilling their JSP promises. An issue that we spent a good amount of time on this session...Continue reading

Bargaining Update #2 Hi everyone, We met with the employer (representatives of the University) last Friday in our first official round of bargaining. We engaged in an initial discussion about a group of proposals from us and from them, in an effort to establish our position on the issues of mental health, job security, capacity for Union representation, and procedural fairness. We established the general ‘flow’ of these discussions with the employer. It was overall a very pro...ductive meeting in which we made ourselves clear about the needs of our members, and our commitment to meeting those needs. In turn, the employer made it clear to us that their primary concern was about the University’s place in the current ‘financial landscape’, given recent government legislation, and their desire to look for ‘efficiencies’ in the system in order to make up for shortfalls in funding. To that end they tabled around twenty concessions (on our part), including the establishment of work assignments less than .5 for Unit 1 members, and specific changes that threaten to erode the Right of First Refusal and the bargaining work of Unit 2. Our greatest concern is a proposed shift to allow Unit 1 members to take on Unit 2 work. First, this is arguably an effort to corrode solidarity between our members. Second, while it might appear to Unit 1 members as a great opportunity to do higher levels of work, you need to keep in mind that in the end Unit 1 members will do much more work for the same pay, and the intensity of the work will take you away from your own academic work, while reducing the bargaining work of Unit 2 members. This is a complex issue, and we will be providing more detailed information on it as bargaining proceeds. We are just beginning, and there will be more concessions and shifts to come. I will be updating you following every meeting. We will be tabling this Thursday, November 7 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the South East area of the University Centre. Please come see us to ask any further questions, as well as for coffee, popcorn, and treats!

Hi everyone, The fall semester is soon upon us, and so is a busy year for the Union. Our contract with the University will expire on August 31, and we are planning to enter negotiations in later September or early October. The Negotiating Committee have produced a suite of proposals that address the issues and concerns you identified in last year's Bargaining Survey as important to you, as well as expanding on and clarifying language in the Collective Agreement. We will be g...oing through our proposals and the bargaining process (among other items) at our Fall Membership Meeting on Thursday, September 26, in UC 442. There will be pizza, drinks, and positive energy! Please attend if you can. For our Guelph-Humber members, we will be offering a online option for remote attendance. Before the meeting, however, we are a holding a All-Member Social on Monday, September 16 at Wing 001b in Peter Clark Hall. There will be food, music, and the chance to meet your colleagues and your Union representatives. It's an excellent way to begin the semester! As well, keep in mind that we will be holding college socials throughout the academic year, so keep an eye out for yours. But wait, there's more ... CUPE 3913 will have a table in the UC throughout the months of September, October, and November. We will be giving away swag, talking to members and students about bargaining and the issues affecting the Union. There will also be free coffee and popcorn! If you're interested in days and times, don't hesitate to contact me - otherwise, we hope to see you at the UC! We're excited about all these upcoming events, and having the opportunity to meet all of you! Cheers, Scott Duchesne -- President CUPE Local 3913