The Ways and Means (W&M) Fund is available to members of all bargaining units who have experienced a recent, unexpected financial stress or hardship. Examples of such hardships include, but should not be viewed as limited to, a death in the family, unforeseen illness of the member or their dependants, theft and/or legal costs, and other emergency circumstances.
Applications are adjudicated by the Ways and Means Committee, which includes four members elected annually at the September General Membership Meeting and an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the Executive Committee (currently the VP Unit 2 vpu2@cupe3903.org).
Due to the limited funds available each year (approximately $245,000), the fund does not cover regularly occuring, anticipated expenses such as rent, phone or internet, childcare, and the like, though the overall financial situation of applicants (including income and regular expenses) will be considered in assessing the impact of their unexpected or emergency expenses.
Members with a disability requiring work related accommodation (e.g., assistive devices not provided by the Employer) can also apply to the fund to cover such expenses.
The W&M Fund covers only personal expenses incurred by members, not dependent children or spouses, except in the case of the death of a member, where funds can be made available to the member’s next-of-kin.
Before submitting your application, please read the detailed information provided on the Ways and Means Fund page of the CUPE 3903 website and consult Appendix C of the CUPE 3903 Bylaws.
Please allow up to eight weeks for the processing of your application, including the completion of the adjudication and (if applicable) the payment processes described below.
Maximum award: $1,500 per Collective Agreement year (i.e., September 1–August 31).
The per member maximum assures the widest distribution of funds. In exceptional circumstances, the limit can be waived at the discretion of the Committee or by the Executive Committee on appeal (see the appeal section below). Please note that the committee may award less than the amount requested, depending on the grounds for the application, the supporting documents submitted to substantiate the claim, and the amount remaining in the fund in a given year.
Applicants must document, as fully as possible, their financial hardship and its unexpected or emergency nature. All documentation pertaining to the unexpected financial hardship must be attached to the application. Receipts are required for all expenses, without exception. Receipts should be either PDFs of original electronic receipts or clear scans of physical receipts.
Vital documentation could include any or all of the following:
- Original receipts for items or services purchased (e.g., flight documents, including boarding passes)
- Proof of payment documents (e.g. bills)
- Incident report numbers (e.g. police repot numbers)
- Insurance claims
- Death certificates or published funeral notices
The fund is reimbursement only. You must apply after the emergency financial burden has occurred. Any applications submitted for anticipated expenses will be rejected.
The following expenses are not covered by the fund. Do not include them in the amount claimed:
- Regular Rent or mortgage payments
- Moving or rental fees (unless you can provide proof that you needed to move for an unexpected reason)
- Internet or cellphone bills
- Tuition and other student fees (international or domestic)
- Landed immigrantion costs
- Student visa costs
- Permanent residency costs
- OSAP or any financial loan repayment
- Laptop or computer replacement (exception: assistive technology and other computer-based disability accommodations; Unit 2 members may use their Professional Expense Reimbursement allowance)
- Personal medical expenses (apply for CUPE Extended Health Benefits)
- Conference costs such as fees, travel, accommodation, or meals (apply for the Professional Development Fund or, for Unit 2 and 4 members, the Conference Travel Fund)
- Fieldwork costs such as travel, accommodation, or food (Apply for Fieldwork Cost Fund and Graduate Development Fund)
- Expenses incurred by non–CUPE 3903 members (e.g., dependents)
Response Time: Recognizing that this fund is meant to assist members in great need, the W&M Committee normally meets to adjudicate applications every two weeks. Note that submitting incomplete or insufficient documentation will result in the Committee either rejecting your application outright or placing it on hold pending the submission of further information, which will delay processing your application.
Committee Decisions: Upon review, the Committee will approve or deny each application based on the grounds for the application, the eligibility of the expenses claimed, the supporting documents submitted to substantiate the expense claims, an assessment of the applicant's overall financial need, and the amount remaining in the fund in a given year.
Incomplete, unclear, or insufficiently documented claims will be place on Hold, and applicants will receive an email with a link to their application asking them to update it. This will effectively restart the adjudication process, delaying completion.
Applicants will be notified of by an email sent via Jotform indicating the decision and reason for it.
Payments: If an application is approved, the Committee will submit a fund requisition to the Treasurer and Financial Officer, which must be countersigned by two of Local's signing authorities. After this is completed, a payment will be issued by electonic fund transfer using Plooto.
Appeals: To appeal the decision of the Committee, please use the Ways and Means Appeal Form. Upon receipt of an appeal, the committee will anonymize your appeal and forward it to the Executive Committee for consideration. The Executive's decision is final and cannot be appealed.
Contact: To contact the Ways and Means Committee, email cupe3903waysandmeans@gmail.com. Please allow up to two weeks for a response. If you don't receive a response, please email vpu2@cupe3903.org.