At this year’s AGM & Conference, besides our inspiring keynote speaker and discussion of the past year’s union business and priorities for the coming year; we will welcome new and reaffirm old Members-in-Good-Standing, make mention of member milestones, have break-out rooms*, hold prize draws (20 $50 prize draws and one $500 grand prize draw), and send all participating Members-in-Good-Standing home at the end of the day with an honorarium (including meal allowance) and a swag bag (choice of vest, hoodie, infinity scarf, toque - see Registration form).

*Concurrent sessions in the afternoon give space for topical presentations and small group discussion on:

• Courage to Act: Be Involved in the movement against gender based violence

• Mobilizing for Action on Post-Secondary Education

Not yet a Member-in-Good-Standing? Read below for details on our 2021 Membership Drive.

Run for Office!

Calling all Members! Please consider getting more involved in your union, in service to our members. Run for elected office and help guide the union’s activities over the coming year(s)!

Any member in good standing who is willing to run as a candidate for any position should declare themselves as early as possible, by emailing cupe3911@gmail.com.

We want to make a special appeal for members to step forward to vie for the positions of Recording Secretary (2-yr term) and (up to 8) Representative Officers (1-yr term).

We also here, respectfully, offer virtual tobacco, with our special call-out for participation by Indigenous CUPE 3911 members, to be part of the newly-forming Indigenous Undergraduate Student Award Committee (1-yr term). Kindly consider taking part in election for this new role, and help serve aims of easing Indigenous undergraduate students’ access to higher education.

Training for specific offices/roles is available for new volunteers, so don’t be shy! We welcome the opportunity for more member engagement in the committee work done by CUPE 3911 volunteers.

2021 Membership Drive: An Appeal to Members

Sign Up with Your Local

Since the day you started as a part-time tutor, academic expert, or marker at Athabasca University, you have been a member of CUPE 3911. But this alone does not give you the fullest rights of union membership - as a Member in Good Standing - like running for office in our Local’s elections and joining committees to carry out union work.

Being a Member in Good Standing is even more important now.

Our Collective Agreement is currently at the bargaining table with AU. The very terms of our employment for years to come will be determined by the outcome of these negotiations, which are ongoing at this time.

Filling out the Member in Good Standing application form is one clear way to tell our employer that you stand with the union bargaining team in their efforts, on behalf of all CUPE 3911 members, for job security, benefits, wages, and better working conditions.

To become a member in good standing:

1. Complete, sign, and date an application form: https://cupe.ca/sites/cupe/files/form_member_in_good_standing_application_form_2021_en_0.pdf.

2. The Local requires a nominal initiation fee, as laid out in the Local’s By-Laws. Please note: CUPE is waiving all initiation fees until December 31, 2021.

3. Return your completed form to cupe3911.mobilize@gmail.com on or before December 4, 2021.

4. All applications will be reviewed at the next regular membership meeting (in our case at the AGM on December 4th). After consideration, by Motion, the applicants will be accepted as Members in Good Standing. They are eligible from then to run for election and enjoy full benefits of Membership.

Join CUPE 3911as a Member in Good Standing, because our volunteers and members care about their fellow part-time academics. Joining will also acknowledge your support for our hardworking bargaining team in their efforts to protect and improve our shared working conditions at AU.

Missed our email?

CUPE 3911 sends out polls, newsletters, updates, and other important information, and most of these communications go to members at their primary work email address (@athabascau.ca). However, in many instances, these emails are flagged as “junk” and go straight to the “junk mail” folder within AU’s Outlook email program.

Here is a Do-It-Yourself fix to the problem of CUPE emails being routed to Junk Mail within your @athabascau.ca email:

• In Outlook, search for an email from this address:

  cupe3911@gmail.com

• If you find it in Junk or Clutter, Hover over the email until a menu appears.

• Go to Security Options and “Mark as not junk.”

• You can further “Create a rule” for these addresses:

• Hover over the email again and go to:

• Advanced Options > Create a rule

• Here you can indicate that all emails from this sender should be sent to a selected mailbox (e.g., Inbox).

Stay in the loop with CUPE 3911. Mark our emails as “Not junk”! And share your personal (non-AU) email address with us today!