Unit 1 of CUPE 4600 represents Teaching Assistants and Internally-Funded Research Assistants at Carleton. With thousands of members, this union unit is one of the largest at Carleton.
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
You can find the Unit 1 Collective Agreement here, and below you will find information about some of the Unit 1 benefits. Any other questions or requests for assistance should be sent to info@cupe4600.ca.
TA Advance
Carleton does not issue the first pay check to Teaching Assistants until the end of the first month of each term. Teaching Assistants holding a TA position of 130 hours can apply for the TA Advance, and receive short-term funding to help them bridge the gap in income. Via the TA Advance, you can receive up to $750 in the middle of the first month of the term. Any amount received via the Advance is repaid to Carleton through automatic deductions on your first three pay checks.
PLEASE NOTE the application deadline for the September 2023 advance is Friday, September 15th, at noon.
You can download the TA Advance application form here. Applications should be submitted to the Office of the Deputy Provost by email at: Banaaltahir@cunet.carleton.ca
Emergency Fund
The Emergency Fund is available to CUPE local 4600 Members who have experienced an unexpected hardship within the last three months resulting in financial emergency. This fund is available only to Members of the Local
In order to apply, you must be currently employed as a TA/RA/SA with some exceptions:
– those on approved medical leave
– those without a TAship during the summer months
– those who have held contract in the last 5 months
The Emergency Fund (Article 29) may be accessed for one of the following reasons:
(a) Unexpected situations that result in a need for emergency assistance (e.g., fire, flood, theft).
(b) Domestic violence and/or abuse situations that result in a need for emergency assistance.
(c) Unexpected and abrupt homelessness that results in a need for emergency assistance.
(d) Situations impacting personal health, psychological, or safety needs requiring emergency assistance.
For reasons (a) and (d), we ask that Members fill out the description section of the application form to describe the nature of the emergency and provide attachments of invoices, bills, overdue notices, or other relevant documentation.
For reasons (b) and (c), detailed explanation and documentation is NOT required, but Members may attach relevant documentation such as expenses, eviction notices, or brief descriptions of the financial emergency. If the applicant chooses to include a description, personal and/or sensitive information is not required.
See Guidelines for what does not qualify.
If you have any questions, please reach out to vp.unit1@cupe4600.ca
Vision, Dental, General Health, and Childcare Benefits
NEW! You can now make online claims. Click HERE to find out how.
All Teaching Assistants at Carleton, in addition to any coverage they may have through the GSA, CUSA, or any other agency, have access to a variety of benefits, including:
- dental
- vision
- physiotherapy
- chiropractic
- childcare
- UHIPClick Here GSC-Carleton Benefit Plan booklet (effective Sept. 1, 2021)
What benefits coverage do I have?
You can see how much overall coverage you have for vision, dental, physiotherapy, and chiropractic care in the Benefits Booklet (pdf).
How do I access my benefits/submit a claim?
For everything other than a UHIP claim, there are 3 ways to submit a claim:
- Online & Mobile Claims
- Provider-Submitted Claims
- Hardcopy Forms
You can find information on each of these methods on this Green Shield webpage: How to Submit a Claim.
For the TA UHIP Assistance Application Form PDF Click Here.
You can often have your service provider (i.e. dentist, physiotherapist) make the claim for you. If they are unable to do so, use one of the other two methods described above.
In addition to the Green Shield website, you can pick up paper forms in the union office, or download and print them here:
What Green Shield number (GSC ID) do I use to access my union benefits?
To access your union benefit coverage, your Green Shield ID (GSC ID) number is CTA + your student number.
What if I am also covered by the GSA’s Green Shield benefit plan?
If you want to file a claim under both your GSA plan and your CUPE 4600 plan, you will need to give Green Shield both ID numbers. Those numbers are:
- CAR + Student Number (GSA Benefit Plan)
- CTA + Student Number (CUPE 4600 Benefit Plan)
Please note that some of your CUPE 4600 benefits are designed to work in tandem with your GSA benefits. A common dental claim, for example, would see the GSA benefits covering 80% and CUPE 4600 benefits covering the remaining 20%.
How can I find out the status of a claim, whether payment has been approved, or how much coverage I have left?
If you register for an online account with Green Shield, you can:
- Sign up for direct deposit of claim payments
- Submit a “pretend” claim to instantly find out what portion of a claim will be covered
- Find a dental, paramedical, or vision care provider in your area
- Access your personal claims information, including a breakdown of how your claims were processed
- Print personalized claim forms and replacement ID cards
- Print your Explanation of Benefits statements for when you need to coordinate benefits
To setup an online account, visit this Green Shield webpage: Sign Up For Plan Member Online Services.
What about making a UHIP claim?
If you have paid UHIP costs to Carleton, you can receive a reimbursement of between $330 and $660, depending on the number of dependents.
To make a UHIP claim, download and fill out this form and return it to the Office of the Deputy Provost, Room 421 Tory Building or by email to Postdoctoral Fellow and Teaching Assistant Coordinator Bana Al Tahir at BanaAlTahir@cunet.carleton.ca
How can I make an online claim?
As of September 2016 TAs can now make online claims.
To find out how to set up online claims, click here.
Tuition Increase Assistance (TIA)
For more info on the TIA, see this page.
Collective Agreement
For the latest Unit 1 Collective Agreement, click here.
TA Work Log
Teaching Assistants are often asked to take on extra work, outside their allotted hours, particularly towards the end of term, when there are outstanding papers or exams to grade. If you do take on extra work, you have the right to be paid for it. The TA Work Log can help you track your hours, and goes a long way towards strengthening your argument for additional pay in the event you’re asked to take on extra work.
As well, the TA Work Log can help you track the type of work you’re actually doing, which may differ from the tasks listed on your Assignment of Duties form. At the start of each term, TA’s are provided with an Assignment of Duties form, which describes the actual work you’re being hired to do (i.e. running a lab, marking, leading tutorials). Tracking the type of work you’re doing via the TA Work Log can assist you and and your union in resolving any issues that might arise from the addition of duties you were not originally contracted to take on.