July 2024 Newsletter

CUPE Local 3338 is a non-profit union organization. We represent nearly 1200 members in six bargaining units each with their own employer across all three campuses of Simon Fraser University. Our vision is to advocate for just and diverse workplaces and communities, and to foster respect, dignity, and equity for our members, and for all working people.

 President’s Message

Hi everyone, it feels like summer has found us quite quickly, we hope you are keeping as well as can be. Your executive board would like to express gratitude for your understanding while we were embedded in two employer layoff processes and supporting impacted employees.

Thank you for joining us at the July 17, 2024 General Membership Meeting (GMM). It was very important for us to connect with you, the membership, to provide updates on what the Local has been focused on.  A highlight is attached for those who weren’t able to join. We look forward to engaging with you again at the next GMM. A reminder: If you attended the full GMM and would like to be included in the draw for CFL tickets on August 18, please email info@cupe3338.ca. The deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, August 2. Winners will be contacted directly.

The first six months of 2024 have been extremely busy for the Local and I can safely say that I look forward to precedent times together. We are taking this opportunity to reconnect in a few ways: membership meetings, an upcoming summer social, and relaunching a 3338 newsletter!

Shaneza Bacchus

Important Information

Unit 1 / SFU

Unit 2 / CUPW
  • For those that don’t know, this is a membership of 1.  The relationship between the member and Employer, Union and Employer is very collaborative and progressive.  The Union will be connecting with the member in early August, for an informal “unit” meeting.
  • The Collective Agreement edits are with CUPE BC for finalization. We are hoping to have printed copies soon.
Unit 4 / BEST
  • Stay tuned for a unit meeting in August.
  • We are looking for stewards who speak multiple languages, to help facilitate communication between Union reps and members.  Please contact us if you are willing to help your colleagues and your Union in this capacity.
  • The Collective Agreement edits are with CUPE BC for finalization. We are hoping to have printed copies soon.
Unit 5 / SFSS
  • The bargaining committee is meeting on August 6 to discuss the overview for bargaining.  CUPE and the Employer are also meeting separately on August 6 to discuss timelines for bargaining.
Unit 6 / GSS
  • The unit rep role is currently vacant.  This is a key role to maintain contact and updates between the executive board and the membership.  We encourage the members to think about having a rep be on the board and help bridge engagement between bargaining.
  • The CA edits are with CUPE BC for finalization. We know it’s been an extensive time waiting and are hoping to have printed copies soon.
Unit 7 / SFPIRG
  • The unit rep role is currently vacant.  This is a key role to maintain contact and updates between the executive board and the membership.  We encourage the members to think about having a rep be on the board and help bridge engagement between bargaining.
  • The final CA edits are being reviewed and will be submitted to CUPE BC before the end of summer for finalization.

Executive Board Updates

CUPE BC Convention

Your Executive board attended CUPE BC Convention on April 24-27. Convention is the democracy of CUPE: delegates engage in discussions and vote on resolutions.  It’s also a great opportunity for everyone to connect outside the regular day-to-day work and network with other CUPE activists.


CUPE BC Super Conference – June 18-20
  • Bridget Barker, David Kloepfer, and Anna Reva Kim had the opportunity to attend the CUPE BC Super Conference (or “SuperCon”) in mid-June, an educational event that offered a variety of topics including bargaining issues, health and safety, labour history, how benefits work, and more. We all agreed this was an excellent opportunity, and we may try to send more people to this conference rather than a full delegation to Convention in the years it will be offered as it might give better value to up-and-coming activists. SuperCon will next be offered again in 2026.
Social and Young workers Committee Call-Outs 
  • The Social Committee is up and running and planning for the first summer social towards the end of” August!  If you would like to join the fun and help plan future events for you and your colleagues, please email info@cupe3338.ca to get involved.
  • We are looking to launch a new Young Workers Committee for those aged 30 and under. Let’s connect, innovate, and shape the future together. Please send an email to info@cupe3338.ca if you would like a fun way of learning more about the labor movement!

Upcoming Events and Community Engagement Opportunities

CUPE BC will have a float in the Pride Parade on Sunday, August 4th, from noon to 3:00pm. If you wish to participate in the float, please sign up here as space is limited.

Please feel free to let us know if we have not been able to include days you value and observe in this list. We will try to incorporate them in our future newsletters.

Summer Time Ahead

The summer sun beckons, and it’s time to reconnect for a social! Please stay tuned for news of a summer social towards the end of August.

SFU Appreciation BBQ | August 14

CUPE is waiting on confirmation from SFU as to whether all SFU community members (not only those directly employed by SFU) will be welcomed to enjoy the lunch. This includes members within Unit 4/BEST, Unit 5/SFSS, Unit 6/GSS and Unit 7/SFPIRG, as well as Food Service workers (UNITEHERE40).

Did You Know…

1. Increased workload and what to do:

  • Do your work to the best of your ability but do not do the work of more than 1 person and what’s outlined in your role/job description.
  • If you are asked to take on additional work, ask your supervisor what task(s) will be removed to make room for added tasks.
  • Work now, grieve later.  Contact the Union right away with any questions/concerns.
2.  In Unit 1, you can ask to have your job re-evaluated as per Article 17. Re-evaluation is appropriate when the duties and responsibilities, skill and knowledge, effort and working conditions of a position substantively change or when the University, Union or employee believes a position is incorrectly classified.
 

3. If you have a question about your workplace, it is likely others are wondering the same thing! We are considering starting up a sort of worker’s rights advice column in future newsletters. Please feel free to send in questions you would like to see answered in an “Ask CUPE” style.

To keep up with our most recent news, please visit https://cupe3338.ca for union updates.

Have content to share with the CUPE 3338 community? Submit it to this newsletter by emailing communications@cupe3338.ca.