In addition to securing higher wages and better benefits, two key advantages of union membership are codifying the terms of your employment and just cause protection. In a non-unionized workplace, you have no job protections—your employer can terminate you without cause at any time. Likewise, there are no guarantees regarding the terms of your employment; your pay, health benefits, pension, vacation entitlements, and other conditions can be unilaterally changed by your employer.

A collective agreement legally establishes and protects the terms of your employment for a defined period, after which it can be renegotiated. Together, Research Associates will negotiate a collective agreement that reflects the unique nature of your work and clearly outlines the terms and conditions your employer must follow.

Every collective agreement includes a just cause provision, which protects you from being terminated without a valid reason. If your employer attempts to terminate you unfairly, your union representatives can use the grievance procedure to investigate the situation and defend your job. Membership in CUPE equips you with the resources, knowledge, programs, staff expertise, and legal tools necessary to stand on equal footing with your employer and ensure your rights are respected.

No, unionization does not result in a wage reduction—in fact, it typically leads to higher wages and better benefits for workers. Unionizing does not enforce a standardized wage but rather establishes transparent wage structures, ensuring fair pay and reducing wage gaps among workers.

Some Research Associates have expressed concerns about being paid through soft funds. However, unionized workers, such as Postdoctoral Fellows, are also funded this way and have successfully secured regular pay increases through collective bargaining. These raises are not exclusively tied to soft funds, as the university assumes certain costs associated with contract negotiations. However, a long-term solution may be to move toward a more sustainable funding model, creating greater job stability for RAs.

Yes, CUPE 3902 union dues are democratically set at 2.45%, are tax-deductible, and only take effect after the first collective agreement is negotiated. Union dues are a way that unionized employees pool their resources to ensure that their union operates smoothly. They fund essential union functions, including contract negotiations, workplace representation, grievance handling, member services, and advocacy initiatives.

Dues also support legal services, research, and training programs, while providing direct benefits to members including scholarships, hardship funds, and extended health services. Dues are normally offset by wage increases and benefits won through bargaining and workers maintain full democratic control over their dues, with financial oversight by local trustees and quarterly financial reports to ensure transparency and accountability.

No, you cannot be forced to go on strike. Strikes only occur if union members democratically vote to take that action. Before a strike happens, extensive negotiations take place, and striking is a last resort, authorized by the workers only if your bargaining team and UofT cannot reach a fair agreement. While the idea of a strike may seem daunting, it is the most powerful tool unionized workers have to secure better wages and benefits. While you can’t be forced to be on strike, crossing the picket line is strongly discouraged, as solidarity is key to a successful outcome. A strike does not necessarily mean that all work stops entirely. If you have time-sensitive research duties, involving living organisms or maintaining critical experiments, accommodations can be made to ensure you can continue essential work without crossing the picket line.

While workers do experience a temporary loss of pay during a strike, strike pay is provided by CUPE National to help offset lost wages, and CUPE 3902 has their own robust strike fund to provide additional financial support to members in need. 

Most contract negotiations are resolved without a strike. At CUPE 3902, the last strike was nearly 10 years ago. However, strikes often lead to greater gains for workers, making them an effective tool when necessary.

The U of T relies on highly skilled Research Associates to manage their labs, support other lab members, prepare grant applications, ensure the timely progression of research projects, and administration. Replacing experienced RAs is neither practical nor beneficial for research excellence.

Furthermore, this is a commonly used tactic to discourage unionization, but history has shown it to be entirely baseless. Unionization of workers at other universities in Canada has not led to reduced hiring. In fact, in some cases, university unionization has resulted in increased hiring, because the union establishes firm hiring criteria to protect against overwork.

A union can negotiate strong job security language in the collective agreement, such as protections against layoffs. Lastly, other unionized academic workers at U of T have successfully bargained for higher wages and better job stability without being replaced.

Having a positive relationship with your supervisor is great, but unionizing is not about individual relationships, it’s about ensuring fair and enforceable workplace rights for all Research Associates. Your current supervisor may be supportive, but if they leave the university or change their job position, only a union ensures that the terms of your employment are protected.

Additionally, workplace issues often go beyond individual supervisors—funding cuts, policy changes, and restructuring decisions come from university administration. While a supportive supervisor may advocate for you, only a union guarantees enforceable protections, fair treatment, and a transparent process for addressing workplace concerns. 

Unionizing isn’t about opposing supervisors, it's about building a fair, transparent, and stable work environment for all Research Associates.

Anyone employed as a Research Associate, full-time or part-time, who is paid by the University of Toronto is eligible to sign a card. You can sign a card online using this link.