MAJORITY PETITIONS DELIVERED TO MANAGEMENT
Workers have spoken! On October 24th, presidents and representatives from CUPE 229-0, CUPE 254, CUPE 1302, and USW 2010 and 2010-01 delivered their Majority Petitions to Nick Mosey, Chief of Staff to the Principal’s Office. Union leadership from CUPE 229-1 presented their petition to Aramark at a labour-management meeting on October 21st, and CUPE 229-3 delivered their petition to Donald Gordon Centre management on October 28th. PSAC-901 is currently working on plans to present the results of their petitions to senior leadership.
Along with the petition results, each unit delivered a letter to Queen’s senior leadership and Aramark management challenging the employers’ narratives of the budget “crisis” and demanding fair contracts for workers. Each unit’s petition was tailored to the needs of its workers, but they all sent a clear, unified message: workers in all unions on campus deserve fair wages, job security, and safe, manageable workloads. The petitions are also an incredible show of collective power and solidarity, letting Queen’s
and Aramark know that workers are ready to stand up for themselves and for their colleagues.
The results of the Majority Petitions were announced on Halloween at Unity Council’s “Austerity is Scary” rally. Workers gathered during a gorgeous, sunny lunch hour to celebrate the achievement with candy, costumes, and swag! It was wonderful to celebrate the results of our collective efforts and to see so many workers get into the spirit! A special shout-out to the USW communications team for their hard work putting this rally together!
PETITION RESULTS
CUPE 229-0
83% signed
CUPE 229-1
80% signed
CUPE 229-3
84% signed
CUPE 254
71% signed
CUPE 1302
100% signed
USW 2010 & 2010-01
68% signed
POSTDOCS REACH AGREEMENT
PSAC-901 is celebrating the ratification of a tentative agreement between Queen’s and postdoctoral workers after over a year at the bargaining table.
In early November, postdocs faced the possibility of a lockout after Queen’s unilaterally filed a “No Board” report with the Ministry of Labour. Workers did not back down, and the outpouring of support from labour unions on campus, in Kingston, and even at the provincial and national levels forced the employer to return to bargaining with a fair deal. Postdocs were able to win incredible monetary gains and commitments to provide their members with access to healthcare services.
The most significant win for postdocs is the nearhistoric increase to base salaries. Postdocs previously had a base salary of just under $36k per year, far below national recommendations of $70k per year. Negotiators were able to secure a new base salary of $50k per year: a whopping increase of 39%! PSAC-901 is only the second postdoc bargaining unit in Ontario to secure a base salary at the $50k mark. Postdocs also won a number of other financial gains including cost-of-living adjustments, childcare benefit improvements, and professional development funds.
Another major win for postdocs is a commitment from Queen’s to launch access to telemedicine services for postdoc workers and their families. Once launched, postdocs will no longer have to rely on busy walk-in clinics to access crucial healthcare.
PSAC-901 also gained improved language and updates on sick leave, appointments, orientation sessions, intellectual property rights, paid mandatory training, workplace accommodations, and vacation rollovers. These are amazing gains for postdocs and they show that when workers stand their ground, they can get a fair deal.
Contract Highlights
- Base salary increase of 30% – from $35,958 to $50,000 per year
- One-time payments of $1000 per worker on January 1st, 2025
- Cost-of-living adjustments of 2.75%, 4.8%, and 2.95%, respectively, for each year of the agreement
- A commitment from Queen’s to launch a
telemedicine service for postdocs and their family members - Increase to the childcare benefit pool from $50,000 to $67,000
- Increase to childcare expense reimbursement to $2,250 per year per child
- A new Professional Development Fund of $100,000 per year, including travel expenses
BARGAINING UNDERWAY
CUPE 229-0 (Maintenance and Custodial) had bargaining sessions on October 31st, November 1st, and
November 12th with the union presenting a number of monetary proposals to Queen’s management. Among the bargaining team’s priorities are:
- Wage increases to keep up with inflation, including compensation for suppressed wages under Bill 124
- Eliminating two-tier wages for caretakers and custodians
- Market adjustments for trades workers,
- A guaranteed minimum number of staff
- An end to contracting out trades work.
The CUPE bargaining units employed by Queen’s — CUPE 229-0, 254 (Technicians) and 1302 (Library Technicians) — have requested a shared bargaining table on issues where their demands overlap. So far, Queen’s is refusing this time-saving request. CUPE 254 and 1302 each had their first half-day of bargaining on November 14th.
CUPE 229-1 (Food Services) and CUPE 229-3 (Donald Gordon Hotel and Conference Centre) sat down with Aramark management throughout the first week of November to present their initial proposals. Wage increases that meet the cost-of-living crisis are the top priority for Aramark workers, and both bargaining teams are making proposals for improved health benefits, a defined benefit pension plan, and staffing levels. Negotiations are continuing on November 19th and 20th for 229-1 and on November 21st for 229-3. As with the other CUPE units, both bargaining teams negotiating with Aramark have asked for a common table on shared issues. Aramark has also so far refused this request.
USW 2010 will be hosting Strike Education Town Halls on November 25th and December 4th to answer
members’ questions about what could happen during labour action. All Steelworkers are invited to learn
about the bargaining process, measures to avoid strike, circumstances that could lead to a strike vote, and
preparations underway in the event of a strike or lockout. More info and registration links can be found at
www.usw2010.ca and on USW 2010’s social media pages.
Bargaining surveys have been circulated for both Academic Assistants in 2010-01 and Support Staff. Both
units are still awaiting confirmation of their first bargaining dates with the employer.
PSAC-901 will be back at bargaining for Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, and Teaching Fellows in
unit 1 as of November 18th. Bargaining will take place every two weeks for the rest of the academic term.
Meanwhile, PSAC is holding bargaining info sessions to answer questions and keep their members up-todate. Follow their Instagram accounts @psac901 and @the901table for the latest!
MASTERS FUNDING RESTORED - FOR NOW
After student leadership at SGPS and PSAC-901, along with workers across campus, made their voices heard, Queen’s has walked back their decision to cut funding to all Masters students in 2025. The administration announced that they will be postponing the cutbacks for at least one year, to give more
time for students and other community members to voice their concerns. While this is fantastic news for Masters students in the short-term, more work – and solidarity – will be needed in the coming months to secure graduate funding.