BARGAINING PRIORITIES
The new academic year is now in full swing, and Unity Council continues to build on the momentum and
enthusiasm behind the Plan to Win. In our first Bargaining Summit, union executives and bargaining
reps from the CUPE locals, USW Local 2010, and PSAC-901 worked on building power through member
engagement and circulating the Majority Petition. In our second Summit, we collaborated on
determining our unified demands and planning the next steps for harnessing that collective power.
Deciding on our collective goals is no easy task! Working groups looked into the Collective Agreements of each unit, bringing fresh perspectives to gains our colleagues have already made. It was an eye-opening exercise that exposed common issues, innovative solutions, and opportunities to make working conditions more equitable for all workers at Queen’s. While there’s still more work to be done, we now have much better understanding and insight of those who work alongside us.
POSTDOCS IN CONCILIATION
After over a year at the bargaining table, over 200 Postdoctoral Scholars in PSAC-901 unit 2 have begun the conciliation process. Conciliation takes place when one or both bargaining parties believe talks have come to an impasse and a representative from the Ontario Ministry of Labour is appointed to jump-start negotiations. While conciliation is a common and useful step in the bargaining process, it also signals that the employer is resistant to giving workers a fair deal.
Postdoctoral scholars are highly skilled and trained researchers, taking on cutting-edge projects at the beginning of their academic careers. They contribute massively to Queen’s University’s research profile, and often take on roles in teaching and committee service as well, but unlike their faculty colleagues in QUFA, they do not have access to many benefits.
Postdocs have been asking for fair funding that addresses the current cost-of-living crisis and aligns with federal recommendations. Currently, the minimum compensation for postdocs at Queen’s is $36,000/yr, whereas federal guidelines recommend a minimum funding level of $70,000/yr. Postdocs are also bargaining for other benefits like access to healthcare services on campus and better policies on pregnancy and parental leave. These healthcare demands are a particular priority: most postdocs relocate to Kingston for short contracts of 2 or 3 years, leaving behind medical services for themselves and their families.
Unity Council will be behind postdocs as they make their way through the conciliation process in search of a better, healthier deal!
SOLIDARITY = HARD WORK
Not every worker has the same priorities, but our common goals and needs are clear. Whether you work in a lab or a library, a kitchen or a classroom, the current cost-of-living crisis is hitting home for you and your family. Solutions at the bargaining table will look different for the wait staff and bartenders at the Donald Gordon Centre than it will for library technicians at the Douglas Library, but we’re making a commitment to fight for these broad issues together.
The need for solidarity was recently highlighted by the shocking announcement of upcoming funding cuts for Masters students. Unity Council digested this news just as our second Bargaining Summit was starting, seeing in real time how a blow for one union is a warning for others. The impacts of cutbacks are never isolated to one group of people – they hurt the university as a whole. As our PSAC-901 colleagues fight for a livable income, Unity Council will have their backs.
A commitment of solidarity at this magnitude – over 5000 workers! – means that there will be
bumps along the way, but only the employers benefit when these bumps become roadblocks.
Even when it’s tough, we need to join together to fight for a livable income, job security, and
safe working conditions for all of us. We are Queen’s Workers United!
BARGAINING STARTS SOON
Aramark has agreed to nine bargaining dates with CUPE 229 between November 5 and
December 6. The dates are going to be split between 229-1 (main campus food
service staff) and 229-3 (Donald Gordon Centre staff).
Queen’s has offered ten bargaining dates to CUPE 229-0 (custodial and maintenance
staff) between October 24 and November 14. CUPE has responded with a request to
split these dates with CUPE 254 (lab technicians) and CUPE 1302 (library staff). They
are awaiting a response.
PSAC 901-1 (TAs, RAs, and TFs) has secured bargaining dates with Queen’s in the weeks of November 18,
December 2, and December 16.
USW 2010 (support staff) anticipate having at least their first day of bargaining to exchange proposals by mid- November.