After rejecting an “offensive” offer from the University, graduate student workers represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) 901, Unit 1, have walked off the job.
The union, which represents approximately 2,000 Graduate Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, and Graduate Research Assistants, failed to reach a tentative agreement to renew their Collective Agreement, which expired on April 30. After the union filed a No Board Report on Feb. 21, talks broke down on March 10, prompting the union to strike.
“[Queen’s] we will not stand for this disgusting treatment. Members of PSAC 901 are the reason why this university functions. We are worth a million times more than what you presented to our team today,” PSAC 901 said in an Instagram post early Monday morning. The union accused the University of showing “horrific disrespect” at the bargaining table, saying they had no choice but to strike.
READ MORE: Ontario unions stand with Queen’s graduate workers in fight for fair wages
At the heart of the union’s demands is wage increases, particularly to counter the effects of Bill 124, which previously capped public sector wage increases at one per cent per year before its repeal in February 2024. The union is calling for a $1,500 lump sum payment to offset past wage suppression, along with a four to six per cent wage increase moving forward.
In a Labour News update released early this morning, Queen’s confirmed no tentative agreement had been reached despite “best efforts” during negotiations. The University assured students classes would continue as schedules and advises them to allow extra time to get to class due to potential picket line disruptions.
“Queen’s values the contributions of its employees and respects the collective bargaining process. The University remains committed to working with PSAC and its Local 901 to reach an agreement that both parties can ratify,” the University’s statement read.
By 8 a.m. Monday, around 50 union members and supporters have gathered at the corner of Union St. and University Ave., holding signs and chanting for better pay.
The Journal reached out to PSAC 901 early this morning for comment on the negotiations and the union’s next steps but didn’t receive a response in time for publication.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information…
Tags
graduate students, PSAC 901, PSAC 901 Strike 2025, strike, TAs
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Aleks Proza
Strange. This article makes no mention of the unions insane demands for:
“The Employer shall provide, no later than September 30th of each year to the Union, one lump sum, the equivalent of 3600 hours at the rate of pay of a TA to assist the Union in the administration of the Collective Agreement.” ~ Which 3600 * 40 = $144,000 (previously they received 900 * 40 = $36,000)
“The Employer agrees to pay the Union a yearly payment, by October 1, in the amount of Two Hundred Thousand ($200,000) to support the mental health, psychological safety and wellbeing of Employees in the workplace.” ~ $200,000
“The Employer agrees to pay the Union a yearly payment, by October 1, in the amount of Fifty Thousand ($50,000) to support training, including pedagogical training, research skills and academic and professional development activities for Employees.” ~ $50,000
Plus a few other small ones.
“All funds above shall be fully administered by the local.”
So in total they are asking for over $400,000 to be just handed to the union. I wish these students would actually read their collective bargaining agreement. A union is like any other institution, its main goal will always be its own growth and survival. They just use moral causes as their banner to take more money for themselves. Despicable. The leader of the PSAC 901 union is a guy who has been a university student since 2011! He should get a job instead of ruining our education system.
Embarrassed on Your Behalf
It’s “strange” that you managed to summarize the legitimate demands of 2,000 Queen’s student-workers (primarily funding for mental-healthcare and professional training)—demands which will allow them to better serve the Queen’s community—and called them despicable without an ounce of self-awareness. 2,000 student-workers trapped on the poverty line are demanding less than a single admin exec makes in a year, that is despicable.
Embarrassed on Your Behalf Cont.
“ A union is like any other institution, its main goal will always be its own growth and survival. They just use moral causes as their banner to take more money for themselves.”
The union isn’t made up of some random third-party bureaucrats. The union is a collective of student-workers so of course its demands for student-worker funding will reciprocally support the union. The Venn diagram of union members and grad student-workers is a circle. Get it together Aleks. Admin doesn’t love you back.
Um Actually
Not to “um, actually” an “um, actually-er” but have you divided any of these numbers by 2,000, which is the number of grad student workers who are represented by PSAC and voted to strike after many months of negotiations? That $200,000 works out to $100/year per student for mental health, psychological safety and well-being in the workplace, financial need, education-related expenses, food bank support, and support for members from equity-seeking groups … which is “insane” how? Right now Queen’s is offering the equivalent of $23/year per student. For all of the above. Anyone who has accessed mental health services knows that $23 ain’t gonna cut it. Not for a session, certainly not for a whole year.
$50,000 for paid training (again, divided by 2,000 members) is insane, how?
Trust me, we’ve read our bargaining agreement. PSAC has updated with a live bargaining tracker since the beginning of negotiations so we can stay informed (like how Queen’s has refused to enshrine protection against caste-based discrimination in the language of the collective agreement, and neglected childcare proposals.)
The “moral causes” we’re using are our literal livelihoods. My friends work full time and use the food bank because Queen’s hasn’t raised our stipends in over twenty years. How else would you suggest we advocate for ourselves? Because suggesting the *union* is ruining the education system, rather than an institution that’s been dealing with labour action from FOUR different unions this year due to their abysmal working conditions, is kinda weird, bro.