Collective agreement
The current Collective Agreement runs until August 31, 2021.
The Collective Agreement that you receive from your Department of work is your contract. It defines the wages and working conditions of every one of the 300+ graduate assistants at OISE. If you want to know your rights as a member of the University staff, look to the Collective Agreement. The current Agreement is the fruit of years of negotiations with the Employer.
Sometimes a grievance may need to be filed to resolve a problem. A grievance is a formal process for handling a difference of opinion regarding the interpretation of the contract. Please reach out to us with any employment-related problems or questions.
Table of Contents
- General Purpose
- Recognition and Coverage
- No Strikes and no lockouts
- No Discrimination
- Union Security
- Management Rights
- Union Agreement Information and Issuance
- Labour/Management Committee
- Union Representation
- Progressive Discipline
- Grievance Procedure
- Arbitration
- Wages
- Appointments
- Hours and Conditions of Work
- Layoffs and Recall
- Leaves of Absence
- Benefits
- Employee Evaluations and Records
- Health and Safety
- Term of Agreement
Bylaws
These are the Bylaws of CUPE 3907, as amended on April 26, 2020 by the membership of CUPE Local 3907 and approved by the National President on June 11, 2020
Table of contents
- Name
- Objectives
- Interpretation and Definitions
- Membership
- Membership Meetings: Regular, Special, and Annual
- Voting Funds
- Executive Committee
- Duties of the Executive Committee
- Duties of the Executive Officers
- Stewards
- Trustees
- Out of Pocket Expenses
- Fees, Dues, and Assessments
- Nominations, Elections, and Installations
- Convention Delegates
- Committees
- Strike Vote
- Strike and Member Conduct
- Strike Fund
- Complains and Trials
- Child/Elder/Dependent Care Policy
- Amendments
- Rules of Order
Our Commitments
CUPE 3907 is committed to creating a union which is inclusive, welcoming, and free from harassment, discrimination and all types of bullying and intimidation. We are committed to mobilizing our energy and skills to work together to promote these values and to attain these goals in our union, our communities, and globally. In carrying out our work, we in CUPE 3907 strive to promote our core values which include the principles of solidarity, equality, democracy, integrity, and respect.
1. We believe in using anti-oppression principles and an intersectional framework to understand equity. This approach is necessary to understand the complex marginalization of certain individuals and groups from our union. For example, when unions seek to recruit more women to leadership positions, they must focus on more than just gender as the basis for women’s exclusion. Unions must consider how their women members might also experience exclusion based on their race, sexual orientation, disability, and gender identity (among others). This intersectional approach would promote the support of women leaders who are not exclusively white, heterosexual, cis-gendered and able-bodied sisters.
2. We believe that union renewal must address the very culture and structure of our union,instead of simply adding a few token equity-based leadership and committee seats.
3. We believe in the power of mobilizing, educating and organizing equity-seeking members into autonomous groups. Groups such as the racial justice committee, or the women’s committee are necessary as a “home base” for members to share their common struggles and to engage in collective action. The labour movement should provide resources to enable the autonomy of these caucuses. Independent caucuses can then fearlessly critique entrenched leaders and suggest bolder initiatives to transform the union.
4. We believe in solidarity between oppressed groups. Each equity-seeking group must take a broad, integrated and inclusive approach to equity and learn about the struggles of others. Members must take up the union mantra of “injury to one is an injury to all.”
5. We believe in using the collective agreement to fight for equity. The collective agreement is one of the most important tools that workers have. Employment equity, transgendered and transsexual workplace accommodation, racial, sexual or psychological harassment, accommodation of Aboriginal cultural practices, violence in the workplace, pay equity are key equity issues that bargaining proposals should address. Members of equity-seeking groups should also be elected to bargaining committees so that their issues stay on the bargaining table.
6. We believe in equity representation in union delegations to conferences, conventions, educational opportunities and overseas trips. The exclusion of equity-seeking members from these key union networking and learning experiences reduces the visibility and participation of these members in key union work. Union locals can amend their by-laws to include target numbers for the representation of different equity-seeking groups.
Other Important Documents:
CUPE Constitution: The CUPE Constitution accordingly belongs to the members of CUPE. It determines the Union’s objectives and how the Union operates. It forms the basis for the functioning of the more than 2,300 CUPE local unions across Canada.
CUPE Equality Statement: Union solidarity is based on the principle that union members are equal and deserve mutual respect at all levels. CUPE’s policies and practices must reflect our commitment to equality.
CUPE Anti-Racism: We oppose underemployment and underrepresentation of racialized workers, and we’ve taken action to make our workplaces and all levels of our union reflective of Canada’s diverse and changing demographics.
CUPE Code of Conduct: The Code of Conduct sets out standards of behaviour for participants at national convention, national conferences, schools, meetings, and all other events organized by CUPE National.
Affliations
In order to strengthen the labour movement and work toward common goals and objectives, CUPE 3907 is affiliated to the following organizations:
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The CUPE Ontario Provincial Division
With over 280,000 members, CUPE Ontario is a strong voice for rights and fairness for our members and our communities. CUPE Ontario works at the provincial level for legislative, policy and political change on issues affecting public services, equality, healthy communities and a better Ontario for everyone. |
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Ontario Federation of Labour
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is the principal federation of trade unions organized in Ontario and serves as an umbrella organization for working people and their unions. |
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Toronto & York Region Labour Council
The Toronto & York Region Labour Council is a central labour body that represents more than 195,000 workers and their families through hundreds of local unions. Its mandate is to organize and advocate on issues that are vital to working people throughout the region. |
We choose to join and pay membership fees these organizations because of their history of advocacy and because they provide us with a stronger collective voice.