Local 4600 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 4600), represents all Teaching Assistants, internally-funded Research Assistants, and Contract Instructors at Carleton University. It is the largest union on campus.
CUPE 4600 Unit 2 represents nearly 1,000 Contract Instructors. The Executive Board, Union Stewards, and Caucus Chairs are elected each year from our membership. Although CUPE 4600 does have staff, the bulk of the work is completed by volunteer members, and we are always happy to see new members getting more involved. The Co-VPs for Unit 2 can be reached at vp.unit2@cupe4600.ca. The Chief Stewards for Unit 2 can be contacted at ci.chief.steward@cupe4600.ca.
As CUPE 4600 members, you are entitled to certain benefits and protections. The resources collected below summarize these, but we advise you 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, members establish bargaining priorities, which will then be taken up by each unit’s bargaining teams. During bargaining years, members are also called on to mobilize, putting pressure on the Employer to agree to our asks. This can look like info pickets and poster campaigns 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.
Health benefits and other benefits are outlined on their respective pages, and we would invite you to check them out.
A Union is not a service, but rather a collection of workers working together for each other. If you would like to get more involved, contact your Unit 2 co-VPs (vp.unit2@cupe4600.ca). Keep an eye out for the bi-weekly CUPE 4600 Digest, which outlines upcoming events, meetings, and other Union-related activities. You can also follow us on Instagram.
Resources For Contract Instructors (Unit 2)
Your Rights and Benefits:
- Unit 2 Benefits
- Unit 2 Benefits (detailed)
- Tuition Discount
- For Parents and Parents To Be
- CI awards
- Intellectual Property
- Professional Development Fund
Working Conditions:
- Assessing Hiring Decisions
- Employment Insurance Information
- Paid Training for CIs
- Info for CIs with TAs
- Grievance Procedures video
- Special Considerations for Members of Both Units (Article 17s)
Getting Involved: