According to Payroll, Records of Employment will be sent out within five days of the last day paid – May 31st. An employee can apply for EI if their earnings have stopped or been reduced.
Mar 02 2009
List of Candidates and Statements for 2009-2010 CUPE 3903 Executive Elections
RECORDING SECRETARY (Greg Flemming and Graham Potts)
Greg Flemming
Though the current labour action may appear to be over, the struggle continues: binding arbitration has yet to come to a conclusion; the issues we raised with our collective efforts are being actively concealed by our employer (see the recent insert in the Globe and Mail and the administration’s lack of desire for union involvement at ‘remediation’ events for students); and in one way or another we will be involved in the sector-wide bargaining that will happen in 2010. This is not the time to ratchet down our efforts, but to double them.
To this end I am coming forward with my abilities and experience for the position of recording secretary. I have a year’s worth of communications experience as an officer of public information with the city of Ottawa, and have also lent my expertise to the National Gallery of Canada as a volunteer copy-editor.
I have been active in 3903 since early June of last year as the steward for Social and Political Thought. I have done a lot of work with the Stewards Council in our pre-strike efforts to mobilize our strength, and much more in the day-to-day running of the strike. I have been active in debates and meetings, and will continue to do so.
I aim to work closely with the communications officer, the rest of the executive and the other bodies of the union to help build activist momentum in the directions I have mentioned. Effective internal communications demand that our own materials, including research – the co-ordination and compilation of which is also the purview of the Recording Secretary – are clearly organized and readily available. This means ensuring that minutes, up-to-date collections of bylaws and policies, the collective history of our local and current efforts are documented, well presented, and accessible. Effectively doing this work will help us, our sector and our community as we move forward.
I encourage every member of 3903 to come out and vote, and will continue to work with many of you either as a newly minted member of the executive or a rank-and-file activist. Continue reading “List of Candidates and Statements for 2009-2010 CUPE 3903 Executive Elections”
Feb 15 2009
Call out for Members to Volunteer as STEWARDS
One of the important goals of CUPE 3903 Stewards’ Council is to strengthen our role and presence within York University. Some of the actions to achieve this include:
- Recruitment of 1 designated, active, and knowledgeable steward in every York department with 3903 employees for 2009-2010
- Have representation from all 3 units on Steward Council; Unit 2 especially needs more presence since Units 1 & 3 have carried a major portion of this responsibility on our behalf in the past
- Have a diversity mix, where sufficient interest exists
- Reactivate or fom standing committees and ad hoc sub committees to address special topical issues as a 3903 collective or in conjunction with other York constituencies
- Develop a series of comprehensive teaching and training sessions to support Stewards in their role (eg what constitutes a grievance, how to assist members to file a grievance; provision of orientation for all new department hires each term re employee rights and the Collective Agreement; encouragement of active member connections within your department; develop a Steward buddy system)
Who are current Departmental Stewards? Visit this website and review the Departmental List for Stewards (left hand index under Unon Central) but remember that lists can be outdated, curent members may choose to withdraw, and most importantly we are missing Steward reps from a number of York departments
http://cupe3903.tao.ca/?q=node/19
If you are interested in volunteering or want to know more info there are lots of resources: come to a meeting listed below; contact Roxanne, Chief Steward Unit 2 (roxpwer23@hotmail.com); or send an email to one of the departmental stewards or our SC list serve 3903scouncil@masses.tao.ca We have lots of dedicated members who would be happy to respond and welcome new colleagues.
Next scheduled SC meetings**:
Friday, Feb 20
2-4 at EOB
Friday, Feb 27
2-4 in room 430 GSA meeting space
between Vari Hall and York Lanes
**We do anticipate that meeting frequency will decrease over time as we acquire a body of universally confident and knowledgeable reps on Steward Council. Of course anyone can attend SC meetings, raise items for the agenda, and participate in discussion.
WHAT ARE STEWARDS AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
Each university department should have at least one steward who acts as a point person and liaison with the rest of the union. All stewards meet monthly and are trained with the current collective agreements to assist members in their departments. Stewards play an important political role by disseminating information to members and mobilizing within departments, both around specific issues with the employer and also in relation to other social justice struggles within the community as a whole.
1. Stewards Protect the Collective Agreements
Stewards can play an important role in helping to gather information on collective agreement violations and ensuring that all members are protected. We can organize and mobilize support for campus-wide initiatives that aim to fight back against breaches of our collective agreements as well as on basic worker and human rights.
These initiatives will be more successful with an active and representative Stewards’ Council.
On a departmental level the role of stewards can include:
- clarifying the collective agreement provisions for each unit
- answering questions from members in department
- passing on reminders about union meetings and other information
- attending departmental meetings
- following through on member’s grievances (including attending grievance meetings with members)
- organizing departmental meetings or actions when collective responses are necessary
- informing members about the ways they can participate in and help shape the important political work of the local
- encouraging member participation in the union’s day-to-day functioning
- keeping members informed about issues in the local and important struggles in the community
At the union level the role of stewards can include:
- attending Stewards’ Council meetings (one per month) and GMMs usually once per month
- participation in Stewards’ council committees
- participation in union political campaigns
Feb 07 2009
Save the National Film Board
From http://cupe.ca/culture/nfb-campaign-launch:
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is approaching its 70th anniversary. Sadly, the mood among NFB staff is less-than-celebratory. Successive cutbacks have pared back the organization’s resources so dramatically that employees are starting to question the NFB’s ability to fulfill its mission.
Feb 03 2009
York University President Accused of Academic Fraud
York University President Mamdouh Shoukri has perpetrated an outrageous fraud at York University. On January 26, he publicly announced the appointment of Martin Singer as the founding Dean of the new Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, which will be the largest university Faculty in Canada. Shoukri, who chaired the Search Committee in a secret process, declared that “York University is fortunate to have attracted such a strong scholar,” described as “a renowned scholar of Chinese history.”
In fact, as the attached letter from distinguished historian of China Arif Dirlik attests Martin Singer is neither renowned nor a scholar. He is unpublished and unknown in the field of Chinese history.
President Shoukri’s fraudulent promotion of Martin SInger as the most powerful academic administrator at York University is a scandal and a disgrace to the academic profession. It is an insult to the York community and a threat to the academic reputation of York University. In any reputable university, lying about scholarly credentials is the gravest offence, akin to misleading investors in the financial world. President Shoukri must resign and the search for a credible Dean for York’s largest Faculty must be renewed, to be followed by a search for a credible President.
– York Faculty Concerned about the Future of York University
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To read the Y-File story on “renowned scholar” Martin Singer , click here.
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To read the Excalbur story on “Singer: ‘I am not a renowned scholar’,” click here.
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