President’s Report

It is a mathematical certainty that working sessionals are worth more dead than alive.

Under the collective agreement, sessionals who die while under contract are entitled to a death benefit and an insurance pay out, which is added to whatever they had prior to their demise. However, the insurance claim must be made within 90 days of death. Make sure that you have a will and that your executor knows that you are entitled to these post-mortem benefits – for the sake of your beneficiary or your estate.

In the meantime, make plans to attend the Annual General Meeting at the University Club on Thursday, December 8th.   Meeting at 4 pm. Drinks and Dinner to follow.

 

Annual General Meeting and Newsletter

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 8th at 4:00 pm at the University Club. Cocktails and a complimentary dinner will follow at 6:00 pm. If you are able to attend, please RSVP by Tuesday, December 1. Contact the Union office at cupe3287@usask.ca or (306) 966-7023 (leaving a message will suffice).

Elections will be held for Officer positions for 2016, and volunteers will be selected for academic communities.

For more information about the AGM, please see the agenda on page 10 of the attached copy of the latest edition of News from Now-Here.

Highlights include:

  • President’s Report–page 1
  • Grievance Report–page 2
  • CUPE National Convention Report–page 4
  • Reminders–pages 5-6
  • SFL Convention Report–pages 7-8
  • CHIRPS–page 9
  • AGM Agenda–page 10

U of S Sessional Instructors Launch Awareness Campaign

[CUPE National]

Sessional instructors at the University of Saskatchewan, members of CUPE Local 3287, have launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the important role sessional lecturers play on campus.

“Sessional lecturers are highly trained and experienced individuals,” said Brian Zamulinski, president of Local 3287. “We pride ourselves on the knowledge we bring to our subject matter and our capacity to develop class materials that motivates and inspires students.”

The campaign has featured advertisements in the Sheaf and on billboards, as well as face to face conversations with students. The local handed out 1,500 flyers with coupons to a local coffee shop to students during the first weeks of the fall semester.

“We are thrilled with the response we have received from the campus community,” added Zamulinski. “We received a lot of meaningful feedback, and the students really appreciated the free coupons!”

CUPE Local 3287 represents approximately 250 sessional lecturers on campus. It is about to enter into a round of bargaining with the university. “We are hoping this campaign reinforces the important role of sessional instructors with the university administration,” Zamulinski said.u_of_s_sessional_lecturers_ad_campaign_nov._7_2014

Sessionals in the Media

Ira Basen‘s documentary “Class Struggle,” featured on CBC Radio’s Sunday Edition on September 7, 2014, explores the plight of Sessional Lecturers in Canada. CBC also published recent article on Canadian universities’ growing reliance on members of the “Precariat.”

These news items highlight many of the issues we will be addressing in collective bargaining with University administration.

Bargaining

CUPE 3287, the U of S Sessional Lecturers’ Union, is about to enter into collective bargaining with the University of Saskatchewan administration. Our last collective agreement ran from 2010 to 2014.

We are professional academics who focus on teaching. Our members are highly trained professionals.   Some are from the outside community.  Others are career instructors, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows.

We provide a valuable service to the University. In fact, the University could not operate without having access to this pool of qualified lecturers.

We receive a stipend for each class taught but we get much less per class than full-time faculty. We do not have pensions, or job security. Our employment is irregular, and those of us who depend on sessional work sometimes have trouble making ends meet.

We are asking the University administration to recognize the important role of sessional lecturers in the education of students and the work of the University. We want a reasonable wage increase and improvements to job security.

We are asking for your support.
CUPE handout Sept 15