About Our Union

 

What is a Union?

Unions are social movement institutions created by the labour movement. They are distinct from both non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as other forms of social movement organization (SMO), such as voluntary activist groups

Unions are membership-based organizations. However, unions in Canada are unlike other membership-based SMOs two ways: 

  • Union membership is not always voluntary. Most workers in Canada are in a union because the job they were hired into was already unionized.

  • Union membership involves a legal relationship between members and between union members and employers that is regulated by legislation.

In Canada, unions are regulated by provincial and federal  labour codes. These codes create legal rights and responsibilities that other social movement organizations do not possess, such as:

  • Unionized workers can legally withdraw their labour (strike) without being fired or arrested. 

  • Unions are obliged to support all members equally, and to negotiate on their behalf, even if those members act against the union.

CUPE 2278

 Our local union is made up of the following workers:

  • Teaching Assistants, Graduate Academic Assistants, Tutors, Markers at UBC

  • Exam Invigilators at UBC’s Centre for Accessibility

  • Instructors in the English Language Institute (ELI) at UBC

  • Graduate Teaching Assistants at UNBC

These three groups are organized into “Components,” each of which elects their own leadership committee as well as a representative to the Local Executive

What is CUPE?

CUPE 2278 is a local of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). 

CUPE is the largest union in Canada. Founded in 1963, CUPE now boasts over 650,000 members across the country. CUPE represents workers in every province, and in every field of public employment, from emergency services to education. CUPE BC alone represents over 85,000 workers in over 100 locals! 

More information on CUPE National can be found at cupe.ca

We coordinate our activities with other CUPE locals in BC through cupe.bc.ca

What do we do as a union?

Unions primarily operate in three different ways:

  1. As mechanisms to regulate the labour market through collective bargaining.

  2. As political vehicles for working people’s interests, through lobbying as well as creating and/or interacting with political parties.

  3. As socially integrative institutions, by connecting members to broader social movements.

As a union, CUPE has traditionally prioritized protecting the workplace rights of its members through workplace advocacy, and securing agreements with employers that establish wages, working conditions, workplace safety (including being safe from harassment and bullying), job security, and benefits. 

However, CUPE members also organize themselves to address racism, sexism, and ableism in their workplace AND in their union. Union members also support other social movement organizations, often by participating in their events collectively, such as Pride parades or climate change protests. 

Through the democratic process of our local, any group of members can harness the collective power of their union around social, economic, or environmental issues.

 1. Bargaining

The working conditions of CUPE 2278 members are regulated through a collective agreement, which is negotiated between ourselves as a union and representatives of the UBC Board of Governors. The collective agreement regulates the working conditions of employees and the duties of the employer. These conditions include wages, job security, and benefits of members such as sick leave and access to various hardship funds.

A collective agreement is a fixed-term agreement, and we begin negotiations for a new collective agreement shortly before the previous one expires. Because UBC and UNBC are public universities, the provincial government is the unseen actor in our negotiations. Through the Public Sector Employers’ Council (PSEC), the provincial government manages overall compensation and human resources policies in quasi-public sector employers, such as universities, community health and social service agencies, and public school boards. The length of our collective agreements, and the overall compensation employers such as universities are supposed to agree to are mandated by PSEC under the threat of reduced funding. 

Our negotiating committee is made up of elected members of the union. They are supported by our local Advocate, as well as CUPE National Staff Representatives. If you are interested in negotiations, get in touch!

2. Workplace advocacy

Of course, a contract is meaningless if it is not enforced. We have a network of representatives and activists across our campuses who can be contacted when members feel their rights may have been violated.

Our union employs professional staff to assist us in making sure administrators and faculty abide by our agreement, UBC policy, and relevant legislation such as the BC Human Rights Code and the BC Workers Compensation Act. 

When we feel that our rights have not been respected, and our efforts to have our concerns addressed informally have not succeeded, we have a formal grievance system mandated by provincial law and articulated in our agreement. A grievance is a formal complaint, filed by the union on behalf of a member. If the union and the employer are unable to resolve a grievance, the union has the right to take the matter to an independent, third-party arbitrator.  

If you have a problem with your TAship, please contact your department representative and/or the union Advocate as soon as possible so that we can help you.  Our Advocate can be reached at advocate@cupe2278.ca. Consultations with the union staff are confidential.

3. Political Action

Union members often organize themselves to take collective action on social, economic, and environmental issues that are of vital concern to us. Much of our political organizing is done through our relationships with other CUPE locals, through CUPE National, CUPE BC and other unions through the Canadian Labour Congress, and its local body, the Vancouver & District Labour Council. Our local sends delegates to each of these bodies.

How is the union governed?

our union is democratic

this means that rank-and-file members like you have direct say in how the union makes decisions, uses our shared resources, and fights for our collective rights through General Membership Meetings within the bounds of the CUPE Constitution and the BC Labour Relations Code.

CUPE locals are largely autonomous. Members of local unions elect their leaders, make their own financial decisions, and vote on their own agreements. However, all locals are obligated to follow the CUPE National Constitution as well as their local bylaws.

Local 2278 is ultimately governed by meetings of its members. In between membership meetings, the “business” of the union is managed by the local executive and the component committees. Only a meeting of the membership can approve the annual budget and elect the local executive. The local executive can approve expenditures within the set budget. Components can make decisions that affect only their component, and can only spend funds from within parameters established by the membership.

National Constitution

CUPE locals are all obligated to follow the CUPE National Constitution. This document can only be changed with a 2/3+ majority vote at a biennial CUPE National Convention. The most recent Convention was held in Québec in 2023.

To read more about the CUPE National Constitution, click here.

Local 2278 Bylaws

The Local bylaws provide the rules for the day-to -day functioning of local 2278. These bylaws were most recently updated and ratified by CUPE National and CUPE Local 2278 in 2024.

To read Local 2278’s bylaws, click here.

Meetings, Rules of Order, And Minutes

Wherever possible, Local 2278 operates by consensus, especially at the Executive Level. Component I Executive meetings typically have rotating chairs and minute-takers. Agendas are typically set by the local’s president in consultation with executive members and staff prior to meetings. They are ideally circulated a day or two in advance, typically by email. Agendas can also be amended at the meeting by anyone present with voice and/or vote. Where contentious debate makes clear rules of order necessary, Bourinot’s Rules of Order apply, and a simple majority vote is deemed sufficient for decision-making purposes, though consensus and compromise are the ultimate goals of the Executive. Particularly contentious issues without a clear path forward will be brought to the membership for review and/or vote.

Executive and General Membership meeting minutes may be examined by members upon request, and Executive meetings may also be attended by members upon request. Please contact president@cupe2278.ca to arrang