Social Work picket schedule

Ratification Vote

The Ministry of Labour has announced the details of the forced ratification vote:

Monday, January 19th and Tuesday, January 20th

9am-1pm and 3pm-7pm

at the Novotel Hotel3 Park Home Avenue North York

Nearest subway: North York Center

***VOTE NO at the NoVote(l)***_______________________________________________

If you need some assistance...

Beginning Tuesday January 13th at 7am, the CUPE 3903 Peer Support Network
will open its lines to all 3903 members.
The Peer Support Network is a confidential support phone line and email address where members can turn to receive support, information, andreferrals for stress, anxiety, sadness, relationships, and otherexperiences.
The PSN is committed to an anti-oppression, anti-racism,self-empowerment stance and is operated by peer-trained 3903 members.
We are not a crisis line. We are here for you to feel you can safely open up,and for you to obtain information resources.
If you need someone to talk to about strike/union or non-strike/non-unionrelated concerns, then *we are here for you*.
Call us: 647-292-1PSN, Tuesday-Saturday, 7am-7pm
Email us: psn3903@gmail.com, 24/7, 12-hour response promise
For more information about the PSN, you can also visit our website athttp://peersupportnetwork.blogspot.com.We care.

Ratification Vote

The Ministry of Labour has announced the details of the forced ratificationvote:

Monday, January 19th and Tuesday, January 20th

9am-1pm and 3pm-7pm at the Novotel Hotel

3 Park Home AvenueNorth York

Nearest subway: North York Center

***VOTE NO at the NoVote(l)***

FYI

CUPE 3903 members vote to send bargaining team back to the table


TORONTO, Ont. - At a general membership meeting today, nearly 90% of CUPE 3903 members in attendance voted to send their bargaining team back to the table with York University administration with a strong mandate to continue bargaining.
Although negotiations have progressed significantly in the past five days, the union affirmed that the university's current offer does not yet address key priorities set out by the membership. The union feels confident that further negotiation will achieve a collective agreement that addresses these needs and end the strike soon.
“We're very anxious to get back to class,” said Unit 1 member Cat Ashton, “and we look forward to doing so as soon as York agrees to a fair settlement.”
Though the two sides have come much closer and binding arbitration has been dropped from the table, the bargaining team has identified major shortfalls in some priority areas, notably job security for contract faculty. Members spoke at length about the need for a real commitment to improving the working conditions of contract professors and maintaining the existing levels of conversions into tenure-stream positions. The union's bargaining team is looking forward to going back to the table first thing Friday morning, with a renewed message of strength from the membership.
“We have a great deal of faith in the bargaining process,” said contract professor Ryan Toews, “and frankly, we were a little insulted that, this far into a strike, the employer would present such a clearly inadequate offer.”
The two sides will be meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, January 9 to resume negotiations.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Tyler Shipley, CUPE 3903 Spokesperson, 647-295-1674
Christina Rousseau, Chair, CUPE 3903, 416-736-5154
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 8, 2009

FYI

The next Communications meeting is scheduled for Jan. 13, 10:30am at HQ.
All are welcome.Finally, details of the next GMM are copied below.Warm wishes to you all on this fine, snowy day.
CUPE3903 GMMThursday, Jan 85-8 pmLight supperID proof is required to register & vote
Location: Montecassino Hotel/Banquet Hall3710 Chesswood DriveNorth York, ON M3J 2W4Corner of Sheppard and ChesswoodNW of Downsview Subway (about 5minutes walk)
GMM Minutes of last several times will be available from 4:00 on for members to review
A Child care room has been booked on site & CUPE 3903 will arrange supervisionvia Maria WallisTokens will be distributed
3 hours pay is given

Also for your attention

Hi all

,Since the "loss" of the school year is one of the key reasons why the Libsare sounding the alarms at Queen's Park this is, for once, a usefulclarification from the University.Punam---------------------------------------------------------

Negotiations continuing: a reminder and a correction to media reportsTORONTO, January 4, 2009 -- York University wishes to emphasize that it willnot be commenting on the progress of negotiations between the University andCUPE 3903 while these negotiations are taking place.The reason for this is to protect the integrity of the negotiations processwhich is complex, delicate and highly iterative. It is not helpful to thenegotiations process for details of the ongoing discussions to be publishedwhile the two parties are at the table.

Secondly, contrary to recent media reports, any resumption of classes isgoverned by the University Senate and classes cannot resume until after atentative settlement has been ratified by the Union's general membership.Students should verify any media or blog speculation by checkingwww.yorku.ca.

Details regarding Senate Executive academic remediation planscan be found athttp://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/Strike2008/Bulletin%206%20UPDATED.pdf.

Your attention

To all 3903 members and allies:

THIS IS AN URGENT APPEAL FOR ACTION!The threat of Provincial back to work legislation is now very real - a *Queen'sPark leak* tells us the Liberals are preparing the legislation and will notwait for a forced rat vote to recall the house. This is bad news for us andour contract and worse news for the collective bargaining rights of allpublic sector workers in Ontario. It would mean binding arbitration for usin the immediate and a precedent that a recession means public service/sector workers lose our legal right to strike and bargain.Let's mobilize on all fronts against this.

*All actions for Monday need toaccount for this new reality and shift messaging accordingly.

* See3903strike.ca for talking points and phone numbers/ emails at Queen's Parkto call and write to immediately.

Also Please *weigh in on today's CP 24 poll question*:Should the provincial government step in to force binding arbitration andend the York strike?VOTE NO at: http://www.cp24.com/