The CUASA Weekly – August 27, 2018
August 27, 2018
The Weekly:
– Welcome Back
– New Steering Officers
– September Council / General Membership Meetings
– Call for Volunteers
– ICYMI: Grievance Advisory: Instructor Work Overload
– ICYMI: Bargaining Update: Association Participation at JPRC
– $1,500 Computer Fund
Welcome Back
With the start of the 2018-2019 Academic Year coming soon, CUASA would like to issue a warm welcome to its new members, and a welcome back to those returning after the summer. Below you will find some useful information as we kick off the new year!
New Steering Officers
We would like to welcome the following new Officers to the Steering Committee:
- Vandna Bhatia (Assistant Professor, Political Science) as Communications Officer
- Isla Jordan (Systems Librarian) as Librarian Representative
- Angelo Mingarelli (Professor, Math and Statistics) as External Relations Officer
- Doron Nussbaum (Associate Professor, Computer Science) as Vice-President
- Brenda Vellino (Associate Professor, English) as Chair of Internal Affairs
You can view the full list of Steering Members here.
September Council / General Membership Meetings
The first CUASA Council Meeting of the 2018-2019 Academic Year will happen on Wednesday, September 19 from 1:00pm-3:00pm (location to be determined). Members are encouraged to reach out to their unit council member(s) to stay in touch with the representatives, as well as to bring any issues to their attention.
We will also be holding a General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, September 26 from 1:00pm-3:00pm (location to be determined). Please mark your calendars and keep an eye out for more details!
Call for Volunteers
CUASA is looking for members to volunteer for Steering Committee, Council, or Committee positions. A full list of vacancies can be found on our Get Involved page here. Remember that service to CUASA is service to the University!
We will also be holding a Welcome Back event in September where members interested in getting involved can meet Steering and Council members and ask any questions they may have. Full details on this event will follow.
Grievance Advisory: Instructor Work Overload
In case you missed it, the Grievance Policy and Administration Committee has issued a Grievance Advisory on possible instructor work overload situations. Click here to read it. Any instructors without individual job descriptions are strongly encouraged to read the advisory and contact CUASA to report any overloads.
Bargaining Update: Association Participation at JPRC
On Friday, August 10, CUASA and the University Administration met with mediator Michelle Flaherty and reached a Letter of Understanding for the Association’s participation at the new Joint Pension Review Committee. The establishment of the JPRC stems from the University’s Letter of Understanding with CUPE 2424 following their nearly five-week strike. Click here to read the full update.
$1,500 Computer Fund
We have been receiving many questions from members about the $1,500 for computer purchases that was part of the new 2017-2021 Collective Agreement. With the ratification of the new agreement, under Article 6.3(e), upon hiring each CUASA employee will be provided $1,500 for the purchase of a laptop or desktop of their choice. This applies to any new hires since the agreement was ratified on June 18, 2018 by the University Board of Governors.
Existing employees will be reimbursed $1,500 every four years for the cost of a replacement laptop or desktop. Per the Letter of Understanding for Article 6.3(e), computers have to be at least four years old to be eligible for replacement. The $1,500 will be distributed on a cycle beginning in January 2019, with one-quarter of employees being reimbursed per year. Reimbursement decisions will be made by the Deans in consultation with Chairs/Directors.
Members in need of a new computer are encouraged to notify their Chair/Director. Units are to establish a priority list to determine which year of the cycle an employee falls into.
