CUPE 3902 is a labour union representing sessional lecturers and teaching assistants (TAs) at the University of Toronto, Canada. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is Canadian trade union serving the public sector though it has, in recent years, organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... Lecturer is the name given to university teachers in most of the English-speaking world (but not at most universities in the U.S. or Canada) who do not hold a professorship. ... A teaching assistant (TA) is a junior scholar employed on a temporary contract by a college or university for the purpose of assisting a professor by teaching students in recitation or discussion sessions, holding office hours, grading homework or exams, supervising labs (in science and engineering courses), and other duties. ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a coeducational public research university in Toronto, Ontario. ...

History

CUPE 3902 is the first graduate employee union to receive certification by a Labour Relations Board in North America. Prior to the certification by the Ontario Labour Relations Board in 1973, graduate employees in Canada had no representation in negotiating the terms and conditions of work. As of 2006, most graduate employees in English Canada have been organized. The graduate employee movement represents the largest change in workplace relations at universities in the 20th century. The debate over whether graduate student unions have a place within higher education is heating up on campuses. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Organizing Drive

In 1973, the University administration recommended a 6% salary increase for all academic staff except TAs. The Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) tried to get the University Administration to bargain with them, but the Administration refused. And so, on June 6, 1973 a group of 7 TAs met to form what became CUPE 3902. Together with a band of volunteers and with the financial support of the GSU, they organized to form a trade union, the first for student academic workers in Canada. June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining // 1508 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year truce and cede several territories to Venice 1513... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

Prior to certification, there were some 444 pay categories for TAs at the University of Toronto. Members could be fired without cause, and had no avenue for appeal. Hiring was, in many cases, an exercise in patronage.

The drive for a Union first met with success at Victoria College. The TAs at Victoria were granted a certificate as Local One, Graduate Assistants’ Association (GAA). Since the Arts Departments were transferred from the Colleges to the University in 1974, the Victoria unit ceased to have any employees. As a result a Collective Agreement was never entered into and representation rights lapsed. At the same time, the centre of energy shifted to the main U of T campus. Local One were certified, as Local Two, GAA, in 1975 after a long legal battle and a certification vote. Old Vic, the main building of Victoria University Victoria University (Vic for short) is a federated school of the University of Toronto, consisting of Victoria College and Emmanuel College. ...

Negotiations begin

The first collective agreement (1975-1977) reduced the 444 pay categories to three. Hiring procedures were established and a grievance procedure was formulated to solve problems and to settle disputes and differences of opinion between TAs and course instructors and the Administration. The establishment of these norms respecting graduate student employment was a first in Canada. 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

Growth of the national union

At the same time, TAs and sessional lecturers were organizing at York University (now Local 3903 of CUPE) and Ryerson University (3904). The National Union grew rapidly, if chaotically, in those early years, organizing TAs at Lakehead University (3905), TAs and contract faculty at McMaster University (3906), and graduate assistants at OISE (3907). In 1980, the Union renamed itself the Canadian Union of Educational Workers (CUEW). CUEW eventually organized contract faculty at Trent University (3908), TAs and student instructors at the University of Manitoba (3909), contract faculty at the University of Ottawa (which disaffiliated in 1992), and contract faculty at Athabasca University (3911). York University, located in Toronto, Ontario, is Canadas third-largest university. ... Ryerson University is a publicly funded post-secondary education institution located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Lakehead University is situated at the head of Lake Superior in Thunder Bay, Ontario. ... McMaster University is a medium-sized research-intensive university located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with an enrollment of 18,238 full-time and 3,836 part-time students (as of 2006). ... The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto is a teachers college in Toronto, Ontario. ... Trent University is a liberal arts oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. ... The University of Manitoba is the largest university of the province of Manitoba, most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. ... The University of Ottawa or Université dOttawa in French (also known as uOttawa or nicknamed U of O or Ottawa U) is a bilingual [1], research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. ... Athabasca University, headquartered in Athabasca, Alberta, is a fully accredited institution specialized in the delivery of distance education courses and programs. ...

By the early 1990s, the National Union had grown to be the dominant union in its field—part-time academic employees in the post-secondary sector. New organizing drives were launched which yielded two more locals— Dalhousie University (3912) and the University of Guelph (3913). There were more demands from other TAs and sessional and part-time lecturers for organizing drives. Dalhousie University is a university located on the Halifax Peninsula in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. ... It has been suggested that Guelph_Magic_Bus be merged into this article or section. ...

Merger with CUPE

However, the National Union had entered a financial and leadership crisis which resulted in merger discussions with CUPE. The Local joined CUPE] 1 January 1995 following a membership referendum authorizing the merger. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is Canadian trade union serving the public sector though it has, in recent years, organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well. ... The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is Canadian trade union serving the public sector though it has, in recent years, organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well. ...

Strikes

CUPE 3902 has signed thirteen Collective Agreements for what is now Unit 1 with the U of T since it was organized. The local has engaged in three strikes in its history. Each of these received coverage in local and national press.

In 1989 the Local struck primarily over the issue of job security. In 1991 the Local struck over the issue of overwork - establishing industry-standard rules governing overwork. This was the first time the University of Toronto locked out its teaching staff. In January 2000,^[1] the Local engaged in a four-week strike/lockout^[2] centred on the issue of tuition fees. While the Local was unable to achieve tuition fee waivers or reductions, the actions at the bargaining table and on the picket lines created the political momentum for the major changes that began in 2001. The post-4 fee reduction was a GSU proposal from many years ago. The TA strike improved what the University of Toronto was willing to put in place. As a result of the strike, the University of Toronto introduced the first guaranteed graduate funding in Canada, guaranteed in the Collective Agreement.^[3] 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January is the first month of the year and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Expansion of the bargaining unit

Starting in 1997, the Union began to work with non-student instructional staff to join CUPE 3902. After two applications, and an extended process in front of the Ontario Labour Relations Board, sessionals finally certified in the summer of 2004 with nearly 90% in favour of joining. Just prior to the issuance of the sessionals’ certificate, the Union worked with contract instructional staff at Victoria University, successfully certifying in the summer of 2004 with only 2 votes cast against the Union. Both of these units negotiated a first contract in 2004-2005. The sessionals’ Agreement was ratified on 1 April, 2005, and the Victoria Agreement was ratified on 4 May, 2005. Contracts for both will be renegotiated this year.

2006 Racism case

In 2006, CUPE 3902 filed a major race discimination case concerning Dr Donald Blais, a sessional lecturer of 8 years' service who is of aboriginal descent. The grievance claims that Dr Blais has been streamed into only teaching aboriginal materials in spite of his broader experience and training. Since first filing a grievance, the Department has not rehired him and has, in fact, cancelled the aboriginal course. He is the most senior member of the bargaining unit in his Department, the Department for the Study of Religion. The case proceeds to arbitration under Arbitrator William Kaplan in November 2006.^[4] Indigenous peoples are: Peoples living in an area prior to colonization by a state Peoples living in an area within a nation-state, prior to the formation of a nation-state, but who do not identify with the dominant nation. ...

See also

• Coalition of Graduate Employee Unions
• GESO - Graduate employee union at Yale University
• GSOC - Graduate employee union at New York University
• GET-UP - Graduate employee union at the University of Pennsylvania
• Temple University Graduate Students Association
• CUPE 3902 - University of Toronto Education Workers Union

The Coalition of Graduate Employee Unions consists of unions representing graduate employees at universities in Canada and the United States. ... The Graduate Employees and Students Organization (GESO) is an unrecognized union of graduate teachers and researchers at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. ... Yale redirects here. ... The Graduate Student Organizing Committee (GSOC) is a graduate employee labor union at New York University. ... New York University (NYU) is a major research university in New York City. ... Get Up can refer to: GetUp, the Australian political campaigning organisation Get Up (Ciara song), a song by Ciara featuring Chamillionaire from Ciaras second album, Ciara: The Evolution Get Up (Beverley Knight song) Get Up (R.E.M. song) Get Up (Sleater-Kinney song) Get up!, a film directed... The University of Pennsylvania (or Penn[3][4]) is a private, nonsectarian research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Temple University Graduate Students Association (TUGSA) is a graduate employee union at Temple University. ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a coeducational public research university in Toronto, Ontario. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.louisville.edu/journal/workplace/issue5/utoverview.html
2. ^ http://www.newsandevents.utoronto.ca/bin/000107b.asp
3. ^ University of Toronto: A History, Martin Friedland (UofT Press, Toronto, 2002)
4. ^ "Talks to come on racism claim" Mark Ghenu, The Varsity, Sept 28, 2006: http://www.thevarsity.ca/media/storage/paper285/news/2006/09/28/News/Talks.To.Come.For.Racism.Claim-2314848.shtml?norewrite200611190903&sourcedomain=www.thevarsity.ca