Dear Provost Manfredi and VP Beauchamps,
On behalf of the undersigned Unions and Associations, we have the following recommendations for improving labour relations and dealing effectively with the Coronavirus that is having a serious impact on our community here at McGill, and throughout our province and our country.
It shall come as no surprise that we have concerns with regards to the manner in which the McGill Administration has handled this crisis. We are not here to play the blame game but to deal with this crisis. We believe in cooperation, consultation and solidarity. We are also very cognizant of the fact that this is a global crisis and that the issues are difficult, complex and at times overwhelming. This is not the time to take a top down approach, this is a time for working together. Up until very recently, one of our main issues with your administration was that you were issuing edicts with little to no consultation, we admittedly felt not part of the McGill community in your eyes, an afterthought if you will. That being said, members of central HR have reached out and asked us for consideration and cooperation, in effect we have been asked how we can work together.
We have some suggestions;
- inform all members of the community that they will be compensated as they would normally be. This will go a long way of reducing stress for the entire community;
- inform the community that only the minimal essential services will be maintained until the provincial government declares otherwise. This must be enforced throughout the University as we have been informed that local HR, managers and supervisors have interpreted essential services in a very ’liberal’ fashion;
- and finally, as we have much to offer, all the undersigned groups shall be given a seat on the Emergency Response Committee. We feel this will go a long way in improving labour/management relations and we will be better able, together, to deal with this crisis.
Regards,
Thomas Chalmers - MUNACA President
Raad Jassim - President, MCLIU
Andrew Fraser - SEU President (Macdonald)
Jose Rego - President SEU Facilities..
Kiersten van Vliet- AGSEM President
Allen Neil- President Ues(800) trades union downtown
Delali Egyima- President, AMUSE
Giovanni Mendicino - President SEU –DataCenter
Judy Dear - President, MUNASA
Gaetan Serres -SEU President - Printing Services
Sean Cory - President AMURE