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.

CUPE 3338 in the News

CBC Vancouver (May 15, 2024) | “SFU lays off dozens of employees, citing financial challenges” | Watch here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sfu-layoffs-1.7205775

City News (May 16, 2024) | “Simon Fraser University cuts English, translation programs due to rising costs” | Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpnzKWihY2o

Global TV (May 18, 2024) | “Canadian universities’ growing deficits, layoffs concern unions across country” | Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6yW7qy4xgM

 

Aubrey Burton/Reg Ford Memorial Scholarship (via CUPE BC)

Dear members,

This year’s Aubrey Burton/Reg Ford Memorial Scholarship is now available online here until August 19, 2024. We are taking submissions according to the following criteria:

  1. Parent, Guardian or Spouse of Applicant, or the Applicant must be a member in good standing of a CUPE Local affiliated to CUPE BC at the time of application.

  1. Applicant must have completed Grade 12 in the current or previous calendar year, or the applicant must be a mature student who has not previously enrolled at a Post-Secondary Institution.

  1. Applicant must be entering first year of a recognized public post-secondary institution in BC. A copy of the acceptance letter from the admitting institution must be supplied.

  1. Applicant must complete anonlineapplication form supported by copies of the Senior Secondary Statement and Letter(s) of Reference from a School Principal or Counsellor.

Five hundred dollar ($500) scholarships will be awarded to each of the following:

  1. One attending a public University (applicant with the highest GPA).

  1. One attending a public Community College (applicant with the highest GPA).

  1. One attending a public trades or technical institution (applicant with the highest GPA).

  1. One based on a “lottery draw” of all applications.

We look forward to online scholarship applications within the August 19th deadline and thank all applicants in advance for their interest.

Should you have any questions regarding this update, please email info@cupe.bc.ca for additional information.

In solidarity,

CUPE BC Executive Board
CUPE British Columbia
#410-6222 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5H 0G3
P: 604.291.9119
www.cupe.bc.ca

Red Dress Day – May 5, 2024

Dear Members of CUPE Local 3338,

I hope this finds you well. Content warning: this message discusses gender and race-based violence. Please consider your capacity to engage with this before you continue reading. Support resources are also included at the bottom of this post.

May 5th, known as Red Dress Day, is the National Day of Awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2 Spirit people (MMIWG2S).  We wanted to take a moment to remind you of the significance of this day and extend an invitation to participate in Red Dress Day learning and engagement.

May 5th marks a day of remembrance and an opportunity for us to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis of violence against Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit Individuals and to show solidarity with Indigenous communities across the country.  Approximately 4,000 Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit individuals were reported missing between 1980 and 2021.  According to the 2019 Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the alarming rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls are categorized as a form of race-based genocide.

First established in 2010, the REDress Project began as an art installation by Indigenous artist Jamie Black. Today, red dresses serve as a powerful symbol of our commitment to justice, reconciliation, and ending gender-based violence against indigenous women, girls, and 2 Spirit people. By participating in Red Dress Day, we can amplify the voices of those who have been silenced and advocate for meaningful change.

We encourage all members of CUPE Local 3338 to join in respectful acknowledgement of Red Dress Day on May 5th.  There are many events and activities happening in our community to mark Red Dress Day.  We encourage you to seek out opportunities to engage with Indigenous-led initiatives and to learn more about how we can all contribute to ending violence against Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit individuals.

How to Support MMIWG2S

  • Wear Red on May 5th to show your support and raise awareness;
  • Attend a MMIWG2S awareness event to learn more;
  • Hang a red dress in your window to support women who are on the frontlines fighting for all of us everyday
  • Read the final report from the National Inquiry on MMIWG2S;
  • Donate to initiatives that support Indigenous women in our community:
  • Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre
  • Native Women’s Association of Canada
  • Aboriginal Mother Centre Society

Some of the Local Red Dress Day Events in Metro Vancouver

  • Online 1:00-2:30pm
  • New Westminster
    • Hyack Square, New Westminster: Presented in partnership with Spirit of the Children Society, and sponsored by Downtown New Westminster BIA, the community is invited to honour the memory and lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people at this free event. There will be a red dress display, a ceremony at 4:00 pm, and family-friendly activities. Free red dress pins and refreshments will be available while supplies last. Attendees are encouraged to wear red to show their support. Learn more about Red Dress Day and find community displays and learning opportunities in New Westminster: newwestcity.ca/reddress
  • Abbotsford
    • Abbotsford City Hall, 10:00-3:30pm: The Fraser Valley Métis Association in collaboration with the City Of Abbotsford wants to bring awareness to the over-representation of Indigenous Women and Girls within our justice system.
Learn More About MMIWG2S
Support Resources

Support by phone

We encourage you to take some time on May 5th to honor the lives lost, support survivors, and work towards a future where everyone can live free from violence and discrimination.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.  

Trish Everett, Vice President 2-Equity & Inclusion

On behalf of The Executive Board of CUPE Local 3338

Support Local 2278 — “UBC: Research Is Work” Petition

Dear Union members at Local 3338,

Our allies from Local 2278 are seeking our help in signing the petition “Research is Work”. Please take a moment to review the petition, exercise your judgment, and add your name to support our fellow locals.

Notice: Member-to-Member Political Action Training available through CUPE BC and the BC Federation of Labour

Hello everybody,

CUPE BC is excited to be partnering with the BC Federation of Labour in the delivery of several sessions of Electing a Future Worth Fighting For. This one-day course will focus on building our members’ capacity to talk about politics with other members, and will help get us ready for the upcoming provincial election on October 19, 2024.

CUPE BC and CUPE National have developed a budget that will allow for them to pay for dozens of members to attend training in their region, or virtually.

If you would like to attend this training, please reach out to info@cupe3338.ca. This will allow us to go through the necessary approval processes for CUPE BC. Available seats for these sessions are limited by budget and space constraints. Participants will be brought into our rapidly growing Political Action Network.

The following training is available in your region:

City Date Location
Richmond May 9 Richmond Teachers’ Association Office
Virtual June 5 Zoom
Surrey June 6 Surrey Central Public Library
Langley June 10 USW 2009 Hall
Burnaby June 11 IUOE 115 Hall
Chilliwack June 17 Coast Hotel Chilliwack

We look forward to hearing from you about your interest in this important work.

In Solidarity,
The CUPE 3338 Executive Board

FAQ re: SFU (Unit 1) Notice of Restructure

Hello everyone,

For those of you who missed CUPE 3338’s April 17, 2024 Q&A session regarding SFU’s Notice of Restructure, please find a list of frequently asked questions and answers below.

Q: What has prompted restructuring?
A: SFU has cited “financial challenges in 2023–24 due to a decline in international student enrolments, losses on divestments, and rising interest rates.” SFU’s own restructuring FAQ is available here: https://www.sfu.ca/human-resources/managers-supervisors/restructuring-faqs.html

Q: What is the timeline for the restructuring process?
A: SFU Labour Relations served their Notice of Restructure to CUPE 3338 on March 6, 2024, and are working with a 60-day timeline. This means that within early May, members could start receiving notice. This has to be confirmed with SFU.

Q: Why did CUPE 3338 not agree to SFU’s “Voluntary Employment Separation Program”?
A: Please see https://cupe3338.ca/2024/04/12/sfu-unit-1-layoffs/ for details.

Q: Who is participating in the Voluntary Employment Separation Program?
A: As per SFU’s “Strategic Measures to Address Budget Challenges” email on April 11, 2024, the Voluntary Employment Separation Program will be available to Administrative Professional Excluded Staff (APEX) only. Neither CUPE nor APSA could agree to the program, for different reasons.

Q: Is voluntary severance still on the table?
A: No. CUPE 3338 could not agree to SFU’s Voluntary Employment Separation Program as presented, primarily due to the fact that the terms would bypass seniority and disregard the Collective Agreement.  The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) we were presented did not match agreements from our labour adjustment meetings between CUPE 3338 and SFU. CUPE 3338 will advocate for enhanced severance for affected members, aiming for more than what is outlined in Article 14 of the Collective Agreement (Involuntary Transfer, Layoff and Recall).

Q: If a faculty or department is reorganized and a position is eliminated or becomes redundant, and if you have seniority, do you look at options to bump?
A: Yes, this is outlined in Article 14 (Involuntary Transfer, Layoff and Recall). Please refer to the full text in the Collective Agreement.

Q: What actions can we take to stop SFU? What can CUPE do?
A: This process cannot be stopped. We are doing our best to alleviate stress for impacted members. The employer serving Notice to Restructure is a management right. CUPE will continue to work tirelessly in the background on behalf of the members, ensuring impacted employees receive everything they are legally entitled to in this process.

Q: What resources are supporting the local through this time?
A: We have the advice of our CUPE National Servicing Representative, Legal, Communications, and the Universities Coordinator.

Q: What should I do regarding workload concerns?
A: CUPE was assured by Labour Relations that they are having conversations with management about what work will need to stop. Management should be having these conversations with their teams. If you are concerned about an increasing workload or “other duties as required”, we encourage you to initiate a conversation with your manager about priorities during the restructure. If you are concerned about retaliation, please contact the Union so we can provide support.

If you have further questions that are not on this list, please email them to info@cupe3338.ca to be added.

In Solidarity,
CUPE 3338

Last updated: April 18, 2024

Call for Volunteer: Parking Appeals Review Committee

Parking Services has recently reached out to CUPE 3338 regarding their efforts to restart the Parking Appeals Review Committee (PARC).

As you may or may not be aware, the Appeals Committee is comprised of one representative from each of SFUFA, APSA, CUPE, PolyParty, TSSU, and SFSS.  The purpose of the committee is to review appeals which have otherwise been denied by the Director, Parking & Sustainable Mobility Services, or his designate.

The committee has the authority to confirm, vary or overturn any parking infraction and its associated penalty, their decision is final.

For those that are not familiar with SFU’s appeal process, please see the parking regulations here: https://www.sfu.ca/parking/Parking/parking-regulations.html

The PARC Meeting is held on the last Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. There are no meetings in July, August, or December.

Volunteers may contact Parking Services directly at parking@sfu.ca for more information and further details.

In Solidarity,
CUPE 3338

SFU (Unit 1) Notice of Restructure

Dear Unit 1/SFU members,

On March 6, 2024, SFU served Notice of Restructure to the Union as per Section 54 of the Labour Relations Code and Article 14 of the CUPE 3338 Collective Agreement.

Since then, CUPE representatives have been in multiple meetings with SFU to advocate strongly against this action and continue to work hard in the background to protect members’ rights.  Ultimately, CUPE is not able to prevent the layoffs from happening, it is a management right.

We understand that many of you may have additional questions regarding CUPE’s decision to decline signing a Memorandum of Agreement with SFU on a “Voluntary Severance Program”.  Please be assured that this decision was not made lightly and all factors were considered before CUPE concluded we could not agree to the terms presented.

Discussions with the Employer

CUPE 3338 met with the employer on March 11, March 21, March 25 and April 10 to discuss a Labour Adjustment Plan, as provided for under Section 54 of the British Columbia Labour Code.

CUPE proceeded with the understanding that the employer thinks it is in a financial position that necessitated triggering Section 54.  Discussions centred mostly around their ‘Voluntary Severance Program’, where workers could submit interest to voluntarily sever their employment relationship with SFU.

Your Union’s discussions focused on the best possible terms for the membership as a whole.  Unfortunately, the parties were unable to come to an agreement on the terms of the program for the following reasons:

  • Approval to the Voluntary Severance Program would not be done by seniority. This decision would be based solely on operational requirements.  This led to concerns about the potential for arbitrary decision making by some departments.  Seniority is a fundamental union principle that cannot be bypassed.  CUPE could not agree to this.

  • The Employer to date has not provided concrete information about which departments will be  restructured and/or affected.  CUPE has requested actual layoff numbers at every meeting and the presented numbers were always “fluid”.

  • There was no union oversight with how the voluntary severance program would be administered or who would be “selected”.

What This Means

CUPE has told the employer to contact us again when they are prepared to proceed with the process outlined in Article 14 – Involuntary Transfer, Layoff and Recall.  Any further updates will be provided as we have additional information.

Questions can be sent to info@cupe3338.ca, which will be compiled for an FAQ on the website (and may not individually be responded to).

You can be assured that your union is working diligently to ensure your rights are protected and we will continue to advocate for the best interests of all our members.

In Solidarity and on Behalf of the Executive Board,
Shaneza Bacchus, President

BEST (Unit 4) Layoffs

Dear 3338 Members,

It is with our deepest regret that CUPE 3338 has to provide this update. SFU has been engaged in several measures across all employee groups to cut operating costs due to its budget constraints. One of these measures included reducing the levels of work needed by BEST Service Pros, which will result in fewer shifts and positions for BEST workers across all of SFU’s campuses.

As a result, last week (April 4-6, 2024), Best Service Pros issued 23 Notices of Layoff between April 4-6, 2024. CUPE was blindsided by the Notice of Layoff announcement, as we were given the impression by SFU senior leadership that SFU’s cost-cutting would not result in layoffs within BEST.

CUPE representatives were in meetings with both BEST and SFU over the past two weeks strongly advocating against this action and to protect our members’ rights. CUPE was not able to prevent the layoffs from happening and CUPE reps were present with members as they faced one of the most stressful situations in a career.

Our members working for BEST, your colleagues, are among the most marginalized and vulnerable staff working on all three SFU campuses and they provide an essential service to all of SFU.

CUPE will continue to work tirelessly in the background on behalf of the members, ensuring impacted employees receive everything they are legally entitled to in this process. CUPE is currently seeking mediation with the Labour Relations Board (LRB) under Section 54 of the BC Labour Code.

We will update the membership once we have more information to share regarding these Notices of Layoff, the impacts these will have on the entire CUPE 3338 membership and what we can all do to show our support for these members in this uncertain and concerning time.

In Solidarity and on Behalf of the Executive Board,
Shaneza Bacchus, President