Back to School, Back to the Table – Bargaining Update #6

With the semester officially underway, our bargaining team has resumed negotiations in the first of many sessions scheduled for this fall! This meeting was formative in setting the groundwork for a number of key non-monetary articles. We made substantive steps toward completing Articles 6 and 14, both of which protect worker health, safety, and well-being. 

Representing AGSEM were Jordan Cowie (1L, Grader & Course Tutor, Management/Law), Bronwyn Walsh (Recent Graduate, Grader & Course Assistant, Math & Stats), Connor O’Keefe (Undergraduate, USCA, Math & Stats), and Donald Morard (PhD Candidate, Grader, History), Guillaume Forest-Allard, our advisor from our affiliate union Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ), and Dallas Jokic, AGSEM co-president. As per our open bargaining mandate, two Unit 3 members were also in attendance. 

To begin the session, we discussed changes to Article 6, the policy on harassment and discrimination. Specifically, we wanted more inclusive language that explicitly protects workers against deadnaming—a high priority for our membership. Despite these major stakes, McGill refused to budge, insisting that the existing Unit 1 policy language sufficed. We disagreed, reiterating our commitment to trans workers. Ultimately the issue was tabled and will be revisited next session. 

Continuing with Article 6, our bargaining team proposed specific language to protect workers from harassment by students. This is particularly relevant to Unit 3, as many academic casuals are undergraduates themselves and thus face higher risks in peer-to-peer settings. McGill questioned whether students who are not AGSEM members can be encompassed within the collective agreement, to which we responded with examples from existing McGill policy. As a possible compromise, we suggested that McGill’s definition of “university community” in Article 2 be added to Article 6, to which they agreed to give further thought. 

We pivoted to four clauses within Article 14 about health and safety. We underscored the necessity of clear protections against financial loss for refusing unsafe work, and also clarified that the employer must provide training at no cost to members. While McGill termed some of the proposed language redundant, they were overall receptive and agreed to return with revised wording at a future meeting. The session concluded with a similar sentiment vis-à-vis Article 3, which details how exactly McGill shares information on university policies with the union. 

Want to get involved? Open bargaining means all Unit 3 members are welcome to attend negotiations to show McGill our collective power. We’d love to see you there. At AGSEM our strength is in numbers: United we bargain, divided we beg! 

Our next sessions will be on Wednesday, September 24th from 10:00am–1:00pm and Wednesday, October 1st from 10:00am – 12:00pm. Please fill out this form to sign up and indicate your availability, and we’ll keep in touch. 

There are two exciting events coming up! Mark your calendars: Tuesday, September 30th is the Unit 3 Assembly, where we’ll discuss and vote on our bargaining mandate. The very next day, Wednesday, October 1st, is the inter-union rally from 12:00pm–1:00pm, just after that day’s bargaining session. Food will be served at both events. We’ll see you there!

Love and solidarity, Your Bargaining and Bargaining Support Committees