AMURE is part of a broad group of McGill labor unions and student organizations preparing to campaign for a campus-wide minimum wage of $15, which we believe is a basic human right. We represent a diverse group of McGill employees ranging from students employed part-time to course lecturers to full-time support staff. This summer, we will be doing research, gathering materials, and reaching out to other groups to join our coalition and fight for fairness.

To learn more, please visit our website at http://FifteenAndFairMcGill.ca/ or facebook.com/15andfairmcgill .

If you’re interested in joining the campaign, email us at 15andfairmcgill@gmail.com

On Monday, June 8th, the Quebec Labour Board counted the vote regarding the union drive for McGill’s postdocs. It is with great pleasure that we announce that 83% of McGill’s postdocs chose to unionize. As employees, McGill’s postdocs are now members of AMURE. Our parent union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), represents more than 25,000 academic employees in Quebec of whom more than 1,200 are postdocs.

McGill’s postdocs now take their place alongside many other canadian unionized post docs, including Wester, McMasters, UofT, Carleton, Queen’s, Memorial as well as many Quebec Universities such as UQAM, Universite de Laval and Universite de Montreal.

From now on, McGill’s postdocs can be represented by AMURE in negotiations with McGill. This means that all eligible postdocs can defend the rights now granted to them under the Quebec Labour Code. Eligible postdocs include those whose remuneration comes from funds administered by the university, for example, research grants received by a professor, amounts paid to a professor under research contracts from the private sector, or any financial assistance granted to the university or to any of its units to support research. Postdocs whose funding is administered by the RI-MUHC or any other hospital in lieu of McGill are not eligible. If you have any questions about whether you’re eligible, emailsean.cory@aerum-amure.ca.

A general assembly for postdocs will take place on Monday, June 22nd at 5pm in Leacock Room 132. The purpose of this meeting will be to explain and answer questions about the bargaining process, to elect union stewards and officials, and to begin work on future negotiations with McGill. The PSAC negotiator will be in attendance.

AMURE would like to thank everyone who gave their support during this campaign! We look forward to working with postdocs and striving to make McGill an equitable workplace for everyone.

Visit this website for more information about Quebec’s unionized postdocs.

This Friday, we will having a Special General Assembly to pass the motions we will be submitting to the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s (PSAC) Triennial National Convention in April 2015. These motions will give AMURE more power to protect you and your rights as employees.

The Special General Assembly will take place at noon on Friday, October 24th at our offices at 517 Avenue Des Pins, Suite 209.
See the facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1499497420303090/?ref=br_tf

Read the motions below:

1. TEMPORARY PSAC EMPLOYEES

WHEREAS PSAC has a fixed number of permanent employees and hires additional temporary operational staff in order to address pressure in various areas of the organization; and

WHEREAS temporary employees are typically paid lower salaries and have fewer benefits than their permanent counterparts and that the hiring of temporary workers as an austerity measure is contrary to the beliefs and core principles of PSAC:

 

BE IT RESOLVED that PSAC include details regarding the employment of temporary workers in the 2016-2018 budget report presented at the PSAC 2018 National Triennial convention. The information should include the total salary paid to temporary workers, the number of temporary workers, the averaged number of hours worked, the average salary, and benefits package; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that PSAC make every attempt to provide a stable work environment for its employees and that the choice of employing temporary instead of permanent staff not be made on a budgetary basis.

 

2. DCL LIST ON PSAC WEBSITE 

WHEREAS PSAC is comprised of over 180,000 members from many different locals.

 

WHEREAS many DCLs are neither listed in the PSAC website, nor the regional websites.

 

BE IT RESOLVED that the PSAC website (psacunion.ca) be updated to include a list of DCLs as well as a link to the website of the DCL should one exist.

3. DCL SEATS ON NATIONAL BOARD of DIRECTORS

WHEREAS The National Board of Directors (NBoD) ensures that the PSAC is represented in all matters affecting PSAC members, including matters on collective bargaining, employment of staff of PSAC Centre, publications and organizing the National Triennial Convention; and

WHEREAS Directly Chartered Locals have no direct representation on the NBoD; and

 

WHEREAS the number of members represented by Directly Chartered Locals has grown to almost 40,000, leaving approximately one out of every five PSAC member without representation on the NBoD:

 

BE IT RESOLVED that Section 7, Section 10, Section 12 and Section 23 of the PSAC Constitution dealing with the composition of the NBoD be amended as follows to include 2 representatives on the NBoD elected by members in DCLs;

 

Section 7, Sub-Section(1):

2. The NBoD shall consist of the National President, the NEVP, REVPs for the Atlantic, Québec except that part within the National Capital Region, Ontario except that part within the National Capital Region, National Capital Region, Prairies, British Columbia and North, the President from each of the duly-established Components or their alternates as well as 2 elected representatives from directly chartered locals (DCL).”

 

Section 1, Sub-Section (1):

6. DCLs will be report to the NBoD through the elected DCL representatives.

 

Section 10, Sub-Section (1):

6. DCLs will report to the NBoD through 2 elected representatives, elected pursuant to section 23, Sub-Section (2).

 

Section 12, Sub-Section (1):

The NBoD shall consist of the National President, one National Executive Vice- President, the seven (7) Regional Executive Vice-Presidents, as well as the President from each of the duly-established Components or their alternates and two (2) elected members to represent directly chartered locals (DCL).”

 

Section 23, Sub-Section (2)

1. To receive nominations for each of the offices of:

National President

NEVP

Alternate NEVP

Two (2) DCL representatives to the NBoD

…

5. To hold elections for the DCL representatives to the NBoD and alternates

Section 23, Sub-Section (11)

1. Election of DCL representatives to the NBoD will be held in a separate DCL election meeting during the National Triennial Convention where all and only Convention delegates from DCLs will have voice and voting privileges.

2. This meeting will be chaired by the Nominations Committee in accordance with the procedures outlined in Section 23, Sub-Sections 6-9.

3. This meeting will be scheduled during the last two days of the National Triennial Convention.

4. Results of the election will be announced to the National Triennial Convention.

 

4. INCREASING PSAC STAFF/MEMBER RATIO

WHEREAS the 2013-2015 PSAC Budget reduced the total number of FTE (Full Time Equivalent) staff positions by 5, and froze the FTE staff numbers at 344 for the duration of the budget cycle[1]; and

WHEREAS the 2013-2015 budget admitted this staff freeze put the member-to-staff ratio at the highest level of the last ten years[2]; and

WHEREAS membership numbers have continued to grow steadily, exceeding the 170,000 projected in the 2013-2015 budget by 10,000 members and putting extreme strain on the reduced number of FTE staff’s ability to support the increasing membership numbers; and

WHEREAS this staff freeze is an austerity measure that creates delays in arbitration, reduces services provided by regional offices, limits access to representation for DCLs, and has created frustration for members and local officers; and

WHEREAS a service organization cannot provide the same quality of service with a growing user base but no increase in front-line staff:

BE IT RESOLVED that the 2016-2018 budget plan for an increase in FTE staff numbers, with the goal of lowering the members to staff ratio to 490:1 by the end of the budget cycle; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that PSAC prioritize adding new staff to its regional offices, especially in regions with high rates of organization over the past five years.

*estimated projections based on past growth

**dependant on membership growth

---

 

[1] PSAC Budget 2013-2015, page B-21 “Staff complement”

[2] PSAC Budget 2013-2015, page B-22 “Members/Staff Ratio”

TITLE: INCREASED FUNDING FOR ARBITRATION
ORIGINATING BODY: AMURE 17601

LANGUAGE OF ORIGIN: E

WHEREAS pursuing grievances to arbitration is frequently essential to preserve the members’ rights and to obtain justice; and

WHEREAS the ability of the PSAC legal representation section to process grievances in a timely manner has been seriously hampered because of chronic understaffing and underfunding, despite the existence of a thoroughly professional and competent team:

BE IT RESOLVED that the PSAC include an increase of at least 50% in the 2016-2018 Budget allocation to the grievance section of the legal representation office in order to provide adequate service in a timely manner to all PSAC members.

5. ADD REFERENCES TO DCL IN GRIEVANCES

WHEREAS it is explicit in the PSAC Constitution that components may take over adjudication responsibilities for a grievance file; and

WHEREAS the same proviso should be explicitly made for DCLs;

BE IT RESOLVED that Section 7, Sub-Section (2)(i) and Sub-Section (5)(b and c) of the PSAC Constitution dealing with the responsibility of grievances at arbitration be amended as follows to include a reference to DCLs:

Section 7, Sub-Section (2)

The PSAC Centre shall be solely and exclusively responsible for:

…

9. processing classification grievances involving members; upon reciprocal agreement, this function may be delegated to a Component or a DCL;

 

Section 7, Sub-Section (5)

2. Notwithstanding Sub-Section (5) (a) of this Section, the PSAC may delegate responsibility to process a grievance at adjudication in the event that:

• the PSAC has decided not to pursue the grievance at adjudication;

• the adjudication process will not prejudice other PSAC members;

• and the Component or DCL is prepared to provide the representation at its cost.

3. Notwithstanding Section 9, Sub-Section (5) (a), the PSAC may delegate the processing of grievances at adjudication to a Component or DCL on the request of a Component or DCL.