OVERWHELMING STRIKE MANDATES FOR CUPE UNITS
From December 10th-13th, all five CUPE units at Queen’s held strike mandate votes in the face of delays and Queen’s and Aramark’s resistance to key priorities in negotiations.
Well, the results are in:
OVERWHELMING SUPPORT to fight for a fair deal! Across all five units, 96% of workers voted to support a strike mandate! These results give bargaining teams huge leverage in negotiations. Congratulations!
BARGAIN FOR THE BEST, PREPARE FOR THE WORST
All units want to reach a fair deal at the table, but the stakes are too high to leave anything to chance. That’s why the CUPE units, USW 2010 and 2010-01, and PSAC-901 have been holding strike Town Halls and training sessions like the one pictured here. All unions have been getting ready for the possibility of labour actions, including strikes and lockouts, so workers are protected from uncertainty. The best way to avoid a strike is to prepare for one!
SHARING IS CARING
Nearly a month into bargaining and both Queen’s and Aramark are still refusing to hold a joint table with
CUPE units on shared issues. CUPE 229-0, 254, and 1302 have proposed a joint bargaining table to be
efficient and transparent. Many shared proposals address improvements to benefits like childcare and
tuition support. Food service and Donald Gordon employees in CUPE 229-1 and 229-3 have also requested a common table with Aramark. Both units are looking to create more opportunities for full-time work, protect hours, and win improved administrative benefits like bereavement and sick leave.
Not only are joint bargaining tables more efficient, they would also create fairness for different types of workers by leading to consistent benefits and policies. By refusing these reasonable and time-saving requests, Queen’s and Aramark seem willing to drag out the bargaining process. That’s one of the many reasons why all five CUPE units have filed for conciliation.
CUPE 229-0 FIGHTS TO END TWO-TIER WAGES
In this round of bargaining, the top priority for CUPE 229-0 workers is ending the two-tier wage system for Caretakers and Custodians. Under the current system, workers classified as “Caretakers” earn from between $6-7 less per hour than workers classed as “Custodians,” despite doing the same work. This two-tier system not only short-changes newer workers who are doing equal work, it undermines morale by creating division and resentment between colleagues. Workers have made it clear: Queen’s must deliver equal pay for equal work. So far at the table, Queen’s is not willing to move on this issue.
Queen’s is also refusing to compensate CUPE 229-0 workers for their unconstitutionally suppressed wages under Bill 124, to implement market adjustments for all trades workers, or to address critical staffing shortages. The CUPE 229-0 bargaining team is holding firm in their demands.
WHAT’S THERE TO HIDE?
Bargaining teams from different unions keep hearing the same thing from Queen’s and Aramark at the table: transparency is an obstacle to “full and frank conversations.”
We disagree. Unions are democratic organizations, which means that leaders and bargaining teams are accountable to our membership. Transparency builds and maintains the trust that workers have put into
the bargaining teams. Workers deserve to know about negotiations happening on their behalf. Transparency shows workers where negotiations are going well and the steps both parties are taking to address sticking points. On the other hand, secrecy makes it easier to divide workers and pit us against each other. We are dedicated to keeping workers informed through our communications with workers. For example, PSAC-901 is updating their membership after every bargaining session through social media posts, video reports, and their Live Bargaining Tracker. Queen’s and Aramark say they are here to negotiate in good faith for new contracts. If that’s true, then what’s there to hide from workers?
BARGAINING BEHIND THE SCENES
USW 2010 have only had one bargaining date so far, but there’s lots of work taking place behind the scenes. These photos were taken during three consecutive days of bargaining proposal writing for Support Staff, and that was just for non-monetary proposals! Using the feedback from workers given
during membership meetings, information sessions, and the bargaining survey, the bargaining team is putting together a proposal package that addresses workers’ priorities and concerns.
USW 2010 had their first bargaining session on December 13th, and are working towards additional dates in January and February for both Academic Assistants and Support Staff.