As of 7 a.m. Saturday, support workers at McGill University officially went on strike after notifying the university Friday.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada, Quebec Region (PSAC‑Quebec) and the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) ordered the five-day strike after ongoing contract negotiations faltered.
AMUSE union members voted 82 per cent in favour of strike action.
PSAC/AMUSE represents around 1,000 casual employees who work in support roles across the University. The vast majority are students who work in areas such as athletics and recreation, the different libraries, animal care and the McGill bookstores. Some of those students are also employed under the university’s work-study program.
Casual support staff have been without a contract since April 19, 2015.
Employees are fighting for better wages and want to be recognized for their contributions at the same level as other employees.
The current minimum wage for casual workers is $10.85 an hour but union members want to see it raised to $15 an hour.
AMUSE is also calling for changes to the work-study program arguing the hiring process needs to be more transparent and standardized.
Currently jobs within the program do not have to be posted, which according to AMUSE, penalizes students who may already be in a precarious financial situation, by making it difficult to find a job on campus.
AMUSE said work-study employees do not have priority for jobs they’ve already done unless they meet a high threshold of hours.
Picket lines have been scheduled for the weekend and AMUSE warned some activities could be jeopardized.
“The employer is not taking us seriously. We have no other choice but to launch a strike this morning. Unfortunately, this will disrupt all activities planned this weekend, including the beginning of the term, the open house and the Alouettes football game,” said AMUSE President Claire Michela in a written statement.
McGill University said in a statement Saturday it has put in place a contingency plan to minimize the impact of the strike on university activities and that essential services should not be affected.
McGill also said that picket lines should not interfere with campus activities by blocking access to buildings. University officials are asking anyone who is prevented from gaining access to a building or an event to notify campus security at 514-398-3000, or 514 398-7777 for the Macdonald Campus.
Comments