Dear members,

CUPE 3261 and other unions and labour groups on campus are demanding U of T meaningfully involve us in developing safe reopening policy. We are coordinating with labour and student organizations to ensure safety for all even though U of T has taken the position that they will only meet with us separately. 

Unlike other universities, U of T has not yet decided to take Fall 2020 classes online, despite evidence showing that classroom instruction poses a huge health and safety risk for students and various groups of workers on campus. As many of you know, COVID-19 can be spread through airborne transmission, which can be facilitated by large numbers, poor ventilation, and louder talking. Furthermore, the administration has not taken into account the significance of presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission. This means sometimes it is virtually impossible to tell if someone has COVID-19. 

The best solution is to assume that everyone could have it. U of T’s current September plan is not safe enough. This means our members could be exposed to a much higher level of risk than they currently are on campus. 

As a result, CUPE 3261 and other labour groups have created a petition demanding that U of T put a pause and take Fall 2020 online. This is about the health and safety of everyone. This is about ensuring people do not get needlessly sick. This is also about equity – workers and students, including those who are racialized, experiencing economic insecurity, and more likely to live in cramped housing will face the highest risk of getting COVID-19. That is unacceptable .

COVID-19 has created an unprecedented situation for all of us. This also means taking unprecedented action. Having less students on campus may be difficult for some of our workers, especially those who are hoping operations return to normal so that work schedules are adequately restored. CUPE 3261 is taking the position that we want safe work for our members. Our members’ well-being is our top priority. 

Please sign the petition below to have your voice heard and support us in asking the University to take fall 2020 online. Join us in telling U of T that it needs to listen and work with labour and student groups while developing a reopening strategy. 

Please sign and share our petition to bring Fall 2020 online

Download (PDF, 88KB)

A wealthy, globally-ranked public institution that claims to be a model employer dedicated to advancing the public good must do better for all members of its community. The funds are available; what we need is leadership from the senior administration, with meaningful consultation from the staff, students, and faculty who are most affected. Now is the time for leadership to mobilize our institution’s wealth and influence — to protect lives and livelihoods, and to sustain the important role of every member of our tri-campus community through this crisis.

Read the article here: 

Op-ed: U of T must do better to support the lives and livelihoods of its workers during COVID-19

The CUPE 3261 office at 703 Spadina Ave. 2nd floor, will now have “office hours” every Wednesday from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. 

As most members know, our full-time President Allan James works Monday to Friday from around 9:00am to 5:00pm. However, he may not always be at the office, or may be busy with other business or meetings. As a result, members have to set up an appointment if they want to directly meet with Allan. 

However, starting this week, the union will now be hosting a weekly office hours, where members can come to the office without appointment if they want to bring up any issues or concerns where they believe the union can help out. 

Because of COVID-19, we do encourage members to call or email Allan with your concerns. However, if you feel that an in-person meeting is necessary, you can call or email to set up an appointment, or utilize our new office hours and come in on Wednesdays between 1pm-3pm without appointment. 

As always, protective measures against COVID-19 are important, and we ask members to wear masks and maintain some distance from others when inside the office. 

Dear members,

The executive has distributed more than 650 reusable non-medical masks to workplaces across St. George, UTM and UTSC. We have few masks left at the office, and ask you to contact us directly if you still need one. We have another shipment coming in 2-3 weeks, and we’ll be able to provide extra masks to all members then. 

U of T has also began distributing two reusable masks to each staff member. Some members have received theirs, while others are still waiting. Every member should receive their U of T masks within the next few days. 

Did you know that you can insert filters into your CUPE mask for extra protection? You can use paper products like coffee filters, paper towels or toilet paper,  or cut out a piece of a HEPA filter, or simply use a soft, breathable fabric such as nylon, cotton, or linen. 

CUPE 3261 continues to actively coordinate with other unions on campus to ensure workers are protected. We are working with the university to make sure that unions like ours have a say in the re-opening of campus. This involves active participation in the health and safety policies being developed for September to ensure a smooth and safe return for students and staff to campus. 

For more information on how the university plans on reopening, please visit UTogether2020: A Roadmap for the University of Toronto

In terms of how September will look like, what we do know is that at this point, it is estimated that roughly 90% of undergraduate courses will be offered online, with around one third providing optional in-person components. A higher proportion of graduate courses will be offered in person due to smaller class sizes. 

An online form has been made available by U of T for those who have questions about what September will look like. You can submit your questions here: https://www.utoronto.ca/covid19-contact 

New Facebook Group

To facilitate better communication between members and the executive, we now have a new Facebook Group. Members are encouraged to join the group, where together we can have discussions, share resources, ask each other questions, share concerns, and receive updates from the executive.  

To join the group, visit the link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cupe3261/ 

“The reality is that workers were already suffering before the pandemic,” James wrote. “Now they are suffering more, and our future looks uncertain.” 

He urges all levels of government to address the bigger picture of income inequality and “invest in people, invest in strong public services, support decent work and fair minimum labor standards and focus on getting us through COVID and beyond without imposing any cuts or austerity policies.

– Allan James, CUPE 3261 President

See the article here:

U of T temporarily lays off scores of service workers amidst COVID-19 pandemic

In the context of COVID-19, many members have various questions and concerns. The executive has added a new “FAQ” to our website to help our members out. We encourage you to visit the page! If you have other questions, as always feel free to contact us by email or phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hello CUPE 3261 members,

Our union’s next General Membership Meeting (GMM) will be held on Saturday, June 27th, 2020 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

To facilitate physical distancing, the meeting will be held online via Zoom. Zoom is an application that you can use on your phone or computer to connect live with others via webcam and/or microphone. You can download Zoom here for your computer, or search for it in your app store to download it on your phone.

In order to predict attendance and maintain security of the chat room, all members who plan on attending the online GMM must RSVP by registering below. All registrants will then receive the Zoom meeting ID and password by email.

RSVP Here

We know that there has been a lot of anxiety and uncertainty in the past few months, and with the continued lock down, we expect more uncertainty in the future. This GMM is an opportunity for you to learn more about what your union knows, and what we are doing to help protect the interests of workers, and to keep you safe and informed. It is also a good opportunity for you to speak up and share any issues or concerns you are having. We encourage all members to join us.

There is also no obligation to have your video or microphone on – you are welcome to sit and watch. A chat feature will allow you to type up any questions/concerns.

The GMM will also be opening nominations for two executive positions: President and Recording Secretary. To learn more about the positions and their responsibilities, you may consult the by-laws on our website here.

For those interested in running, you must be nominated during the meeting. If you are unable to attend, you can submit your name in writing (simply send us an email and let us know). If the positions are contested, the election will be held at the following GMM in October.

Hope to see you there! Email us at service.workers@utoronto.ca if you have any questions/concerns.

CUPE 3261 Executive

GMM Agenda

1. Roll call of officers
2. Reading of the Equality Statement
3. Reading and approval of minutes of previous meeting
4. Treasurer’s report and approving expenditures
5. Executive Board report (Bargaining & COVID-19)
6. Nominations for President and Recording Secretary
7. Unfinished business 
8. New Business
9. Adjournment