| Dear Unit 2 Members,
Below are a few very important news items sent on behalf of your Unit 2 bargaining team (representing Sessional Faculty and Hourly-Rated Sessional Music Faculty). Given the current state of negotiations with the Employer, we would implore you to read the announcements below and prepare to vote YES in the upcoming strike vote. REMEMBER: A successful strike vote does not mean there will be a strike. It simply authorizes the bargaining team to call a strike should negotiations fail. In other words, a strong “yes” vote puts the Union in the best possible position to secure a good deal without needing to call a strike. This is where the strength of collective bargaining is found!
Special General Membership Meeting:
Wednesday, October 14 at 2 pm
As you are probably aware, the Unit 2 bargaining team has reached an impasse at the negotiations table with the Employer, and talks are now headed towards conciliation. Prior to taking this next step, the bargaining team is asking for your support. We will be holding a Special General Membership Meeting next week (during reading week) – specifically on Wednesday, October 14 at 2 pm – to outline the key issues at stake and ask that you cast your ballot in favour of a strike mandate. At the SGMM, you can expect updates on bargaining, an explanation the strike vote process itself and potential next steps, and an overview of the Helios voting process itself.
In order to preserve the security and confidentiality of our SGMM, pre-registration for this meeting will be required. Please note that you must register with your McMaster email address no later than 12pm the day of the SGMM. This is the only way we can confirm that you are a Unit 2 member prior to the meeting. Any registration requests made from non-McMaster email addresses will be denied. Please also allow for a delay as each registration must be approved manually.
Register in advance for the SGMM here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lc–hqTMvGtE2WAk3T18KWmWAwC4HYOlm
Want to know more about the issues in advance of the SGMM? Check out our webpage on KEY ISSUES and our U2 STRIKE VOTE FAQ! Strike Vote for Unit 2 Members:
via Helios Voting, October 14 at 5 pm – October 16 at 5 pm
As per our bylaws, we will be conducting a strike vote immediately following the SGMM, with the voting period remaining open for 48 hours. If you have worked a Unit 2 contract (either as a Sessional Faculty or Hourly-Rated Music Faculty) at any point during the previous academic year (2019-2020) or the Fall 2020 term, then you are eligible to vote. In order to receive the necessary ballot through Helios Voting, you will need to register using your McMaster email address. Please watch your McMaster inbox for the link to register your ballot. Also note that this Helios registration process is in addition to the registration that is required in order to attend the SGMM via Zoom (provided above).
And finally, a bit of dark comedy from Get Social with CUPE 3906!
During this critical time for members of CUPE 3906, we’re releasing weekly cartoons on our media channels highlighting issues important to the union as we begin the fall semester. Our sixth comic is about paid training for Sessional Faculty, to help compensate them for the work they do over and above course instruction. Check out our socials CUPE 3906 on Facebook, Instagram @cupe3906 and on Twitter @cupe_3906! Click here to see the sixth cartoon!Thanks, everyone. We hope to see you all at the SGMM on Wednesday!
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