Cupe ready to rumble

Contract talks underway

CHELSE MCKEE, STAFF

CUPE Local 3909’s contract expired in August. Now Jason Kelly, president of CUPE Local 3909, prepares for the most likely long process ahead of contract and wage renegotiations.

CUPE Local 3909 is a relatively new union on campus and specifically represents sessional and student academic workers on the University of Manitoba campus. There are two CUPE organizations on campus. The second one on campus is CUPE 1482, which represents engineering academic workers and sessionals.

“Sessional academic worker” defines someone who is hired for only one session, and if they wish to teach another course they must be re-hired. A student academic worker fills student positions like a teaching assistant or a grade marker.

CUPE 3909 has between 500 and 1,500 members currently. However, Kelly said, the number fluctuates.

Despite the similar job descriptions, Kelly said that student academic workers are paid less than sessional academic workers.

“It you’re a student, you get paid less to do the same job . . . as a sessional,” said Kelly.

Other U of M unions, like the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) are also currently in bargaining discussions with the university.

“It’s a strong position to be in,” Kelly stated.

He explained that there is a unifying force if all the unions are in discussion at the same time. “It’s everyone together,” he said. Kelly explained that the joining of the unions could result in a more significant strike if it were to come to that.

According to John Danakas, director of public affairs for the university, all unions bargaining concurrently “wouldn’t be unprecedented.”

Kelly continued to say that it is a strong position for the university to be in, as well, because there could be an issue with funds, as wage is a consistent factor in most negotiations.

Kelly said that CUPE has only gone through one round of bargaining with the university, in which they exchanged contract proposals. Since bargaining is still in progress, Kelley is unable to discuss the matter with the press.

At the moment, Kelly could not see a definite end to the discussions.

“We have no dates right now. We obviously don’t want to be too long without a collective agreement. We’re probably looking after Christmas sometime before a contract is signed.”

Of course, those days, Kelley said, are just speculative.

Danakas said he is “hopeful that agreements can be reached.”

CUPE Local 3909’s rank, in terms of wage, across Canada, is “not great” according to Kelly.

“We’re not [a] highly paid [group] but relative[ly speaking], [Winnipeg has] a low cost of living.”

The group of teaching assistants is ranked second to last in Canada in terms of income.

CUPE’s Fall Membership Meeting was held on Sept. 26.