CUPE 3902 is founded upon democratic principles which ensure that the membership of the Union has the final say in any decision.

The Local is governed by the following bodies:

General and Unit Membership Meetings

The ultimate authority in CUPE 3902 is the General Membership Meeting (GMM). Your Bylaws require one meeting open to members of all seven units, to be held once every four months. Special meetings might be called more frequently, such as to strengthen community actions. Each of your bargaining unit convenes a unit meeting at least once a year, and more frequently during the bargaining process, to ensure your issues are raised in each round of contract negotiations.

Members are entitled to at least one week’s notice of the time and place of a meeting. All documentation required to make informed decisions must be circulated one week in advance. Meeting notice is sent by email. If you’re not subscribed, send a subscription request to office@cupe3902.org.

Members can petition for a membership meeting as per your Bylaws. Meetings are run according to Bourinot’s Rules of Order. The meeting chair and the Local’s Exec and Staff work to make proceedings easy to follow and participate in. It’s the joint responsibility of the chair, Equity Officer (eo@cupe3902.org), and members to also ensure that meetings are safe, collegial, and accessible. Conduct that violates the Local’s Equity Statement cannot be tolerated.

At meetings, members hear reports of the various officers and committees and about
the activities of the Union since the last meeting. In addition, proposals for future changes are made and the membership may approve them, reject them, or make changes to them. Only a GMM may elect or recall members of the Executive Committee or
trustees; set the budget and receive financial reports; change the Bylaws; change the strike or strike-fund policies; and make donations of more than $200. Only Unit Meetings may elect or recall members of the Bargaining Committee; approve bargaining
proposals; and approve the taking of strike or ratification votes.

Unit Councils

Unit Councils meet monthly and provides representation for members between GMMs. Each bargaining unit elects a Lead Steward who is responsible for preparing agendas and presiding over all meetings; in Units 2, 4, & 6, your Fourth Vice-President does this work with the assistance of Stewards.

The Council serves as a space to promote continuous organising, facilitate the sharing of experiences relative to grievances in departments, and provide open communication between the Executive and members.

The Local’s success depends on how well you can represent and organize rank and file members directly, from every workplace and job category. There are always positions to be filled. Any member can attend Unit Council as a guest. Write to your Lead Steward or Vice-President to save the date!

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee takes its direction from decisions of the membership and is guided by policies drafted by the Stewards’ Council. The Executive Committee also brings proposals to the membership and Stewards for changes in direction or policy.

The members meet bi-weekly and together are responsible for the administration of the Local’s Collective Agreements. They are also responsible for providing direction to the Executive Director with respect to the management of the office’s day-to-day business and the supervision of the other Local staff.

You can find out more about the Executive Committee and meet its current members on the Executive Committee page.