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UNITED WE WON! CUPE 3902 + CUPE 3261 Tentative Agreements Reached!

ByMarianna Reis

On Sunday, March 3, for the first time ever, all five units of CUPE 3261 and CUPE 3902 sat
side-by-side at the table during our final pass of counter proposals. Many hours later and just minutes before midnight, we received the university’s final offers, and signed historic tentative agreements.

Your coordination and solidarity have secured historic gains for thousands of CUPE members in both 3261 and 3902. You have shown that when teaching assistants, caretakers, postdoctoral researchers, and food service workers stand together, you can achieve real gains that improve your working conditions.

IMPORTANT: All CUPE 3902 and 3261 members should report to work as normal on Monday, March 4, 2024.

If you are not scheduled to work, join your coworkers at the UNITED WE WIN Rally today (Monday) at 9:00am outside Convocation Hall at King’s College Circle to celebrate our collective win.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS:

Unit 1:

  • You won a 12.8% wage increase over the next three years.
  • You won protections for your healthcare benefits that safeguard against any U of T clawbacks, like they attempted in 2022.
  • Your mental healthcare coverage doubled and you make significant additions to vision care and the HCSA.
  • You won additional “first appointment” Course Instructor stipends for each course you have not previously taught.
  • You significantly reduced the amount of Unit 1 work that can contribute to your base funding (from $7,755 in Sept. 2023 to $6,900 in Sept. 2026). This does not decrease your base funding.
  • You secured subsequent appointments for undergraduate and Masters students.
  • Your organizing over the last two months moved the employer from full rejection on transit to a firm commitment to seek a 45% discount on transit.

These gains put money in your pocket.

Unit 5:

  • Effective upon ratification, all postdoctoral fellows who make an annual salary of under $50,000 will be “bumped” to $50,000.
  • Across-the-board increases of 9% (retroactive for 2023), 2% (2024), and 1.8% (2025) will distribute financial gains across all salaries.
  • Health care benefits have been brought into closer alignment with other full-time bargaining units, meaning a greatly improved premium cost-share with the employer and more comprehensive services.
  • Postdocs will now see a professional development fund of $500/member/year, in addition to travel and accommodations reimbursement for any professional development activities mandated by their PI/advisor.

Full-Time Part-Time Unit:

  • $25 minimum wage for ALL workers upon ratification
  • Hundreds of dollars saved per year on dental and extended health premiums
  • Evening and overnight shift premiums—$1 AND no exclusions for food service!
  • 9% increase retroactive to July 1, 2023, followed by 2% and 1.8% increase
  • One extra paid personal day
  • And more—details to come!

Casual Unit:

  • $18 minimum wage retroactive to July 1, 2023, $19/hr July 1, 2024, and $20/hr July 1, 2025
  • Historic equal pay for equal work provision!
  • Two extra sick days, up to a total of four per year (from zero in less than one year!)
  • Equitable distribution of shifts
  • Uniform allowance for all hospitality workers
  • And more—details to come!

89 Chestnut Unit:

  • $25 minimum wage for ALL non-tipped workers
  • 9% increase retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, followed by 2% and 1.8% increase
  • One extra paid personal day
  • Alignments with Full-Time Part-Time:
    • Sick leave (from three days to 15 weeks)
    • Extra week vacation by July 2025
    • Evening and overnight shift premiums — $1
    • Bereavement
  • And more—details to come!

In the next week, you’ll be able to review the gains from the tentative agreement ahead of a ratification meeting to be held early next week.

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