This Fall, CUPE 3903 is seeking to organize a new Unit (4) of workers employed as Research Assistants at York University. The Unit will consist of both unorganized Research Assistants at York University and current 3903 members who hold Research Assistantships for part of each year, and are excluded from union rights and benefits during this period. This is one of the few remaining groups of unorganized workers at York, who provide a valuable service to the academic and administrative functioning of the university, but who receive none of the benefits and job protections afforded to similar workers.

With the goal of holding a vote at the end of the Fall 2006, our early objectives include outreach to members who are employed in RA positions, seeking out and signing cards for part and full-time RAs on campus, building links to academic departments and research centers in which these workers are employed, establishing the employment nature of the relationship between RAs and the employer through ongoing fact-finding, gaining support of sister locals on campus, beginning a community media campaign to publicize the drive, and moving toward a vote in late Fall. [READ MORE]

Our long-terms goals are multi-fold. Beyond the creation of Unit 4, which we believe will benefit current as well as prospective members employed as RAs, organizing Research Assistants will ensure that our Unit 3 (GAs) is not slowly eroded by the conversion of unionized work into RA positions, which we fear will be a goal of the administration in the context of growing graduate programs. Further, it will allow us to ensure that wage gains made for our members who hold both TA/GA and RA positions will not be eroded by reductions in RA pay, which has been the case in our Science units, for example. More broadly, we believe this will establish CUPE 3903 and the growing alliance of unionized workers as a stronger force on the York campus, which serves to benefit the entire community, as well as allow us to extend our efforts to positively participate in social justice projects with allies in the community, and we hope it will serve as a catalyst for other organizing drives by sister locals across the sector.

Online Survey

Completing this important survey will enable us to begin our drive to fully represent Research Assistants, and to better understand the needs of our members and of graduate students at York more generally. All information collected will remain completely confidential and will not be released to any employers.

All respondents enter a draw to win: IPOD; $50.00 bookstore certificates; other fun prizes (t-shirts, calendars)

Please return the pape or submit online completed surveys by the deadline of July 31st, 2006 to be eligible to win.

proceed to the application »

Posters

• QUTU Sample Poster

More to come!