U1 Member Resources

Welcome new and returning Unit 1 members!

Below, you’ll find information about the Union and some resources to help you understand your rights, working conditions, and benefits as a Member of the Union! 

Local 4600 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 4600), represents all Teaching Assistants, Service Assistants, internally-funded Research Assistants (Unit 1), and Contract Instructors (Unit 2) at Carleton University. We’re the largest union on campus.

CUPE 4600 represents roughly 2000 Teaching Assistants. The Executive Board, Union Stewards, and Caucus Chairs are elected each year from among the membership. Though CUPE 4600 does have some staff, the bulk of the work done comes from volunteer members, and we are always happy to see new members getting more involved.

As CUPE 4600 members, you are entitled to certain benefits and protections. You are encouraged to familiarize yourself with the Collective Agreement, which is the legal document that outlines your working conditions. The collective agreement is bargained with the employer every three years. In the lead-up to bargaining, the membership is consulted to establish bargaining priorities, which are then taken up by each unit’s bargaining teams. During bargaining years, the membership is also called on to mobilize to put pressure on the employer to agree to your bargaining teams’ asks. This can look like info pickets, poster campaigns, and flyering, but can also escalate all the way to strikes and other job action. A successful bargaining round leads to improved working conditions for CUPE 4600 members.

Unit 1 health benefits are outlined here and other benefits are outlined here. It should also be noted that grad student Unit 1 Members have access to the Graduate Students Association Health Plan, while undergraduate student Unit 1 Members have access to the CUSA Health Plan.  Get in touch with us if you have questions about accessing your benefits.

CUPE 4600 members are also entitled to certain protections while on the job, and TAs are entitled to some protection from tuition increases. You can use the Collective Agreement and resources provided on the website to find out more about your rights, but if something seems not quite right in your workplace, please reach out to us.

We are happy to have you as part of our union. If you would like to get more involved with us we can surely find a way for you to get active. Keep an eye out for the CUPE 4600 Digest, which will be emailed to you twice monthly and outlines upcoming events, meetings, and other union-related and community activities. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

The VP for Unit 1 can be reached at vp.unit1@cupe4600,ca, and the Chief Steward can be reached at ta.chief.steward@cupe4600.ca