As the clock ticks down, postdoctoral scholars rally for fair wages while facing the threat of a historic lockout.
As one of the largest unions in the country, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), with local branches such as PSAC 901, Unit 1, represents over 240,000 workers nationwide. The union offers resources to support Queen’s workers. In the Unit 2 bargaining agreements, PSAC 901 pushing for equitable wages, healthcare benefits, and coverage for relocation expenses.
READ MORE: Postdoctoral fellows still fighting for fair pay after a year of bargaining delays
As of October, negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement between the University and PSAC 901, Unit 2, which represents postdoctoral scholars, have been ongoing for a year. Ontario’s Ministry of Labour issued a No Board Report on Oct. 26, which permits members of the PSAC Unit 2 bargaining unit to legally strike. The report further allows the University to lock out employees starting at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 12.
Since the last meeting between the union and the University on Oct. 16, it has been a frustrating experience, according to Jake Morrow, president of PSAC 901, as the employer made no progress on the key demands of the postdocs.
“It also became clear since [during] that meeting that the employer is moving towards potentially blocking postdocs out of the workplace. The employer filed and received [the] No Board Report […]that puts them [Queen’s] in a position to legally lock postdocs out of the workplace,” Morrow said in an interview with The Journal.
In a statement to The Journal, the University underscored the obligation of both parties to engage in good faith bargaining and reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the union to reach a mutually ratifiable agreement.
According to Morrow, during a lockout, the administration may legally prevent employees from accessing workspaces, workspace technology and equipment, performing employment-related tasks, including research, or receiving any payment from the employer.
“Essentially, a lockout is a forced strike initiated by the employer, and workers and unions have no say in starting or ending,” PSAC 901 said in a news release.
“A lockout is a forced labour action initiated by an employer to pressure a group of workers into agreeing to certain terms of employment. […] A potential lockout is a dangerous threat to the research currently taking place at this university. This would be an unprecedented move, the first time in Canadian research history that any employer—public or private sector—has ever locked out postdoctoral employees,” PSAC Ontario stated in a media release.
In a conversation with The Journal, Chloe Stewart, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology expressed her concerns about the current situation. She described it as an “aggressive moment” in which the University’s pressuring the union to back down from its demands for fair wages and healthcare instead of fighting for them.
“All of the postdoctoral fellows at Queen’s have completed our doctoral studies and worked hard to get here. We bring valuable research that the University claims to want and respect, but at the same time, it feels like the University doesn’t respect us. We can feel this lack of respect through their aggressive actions against the union,” Stewart said in an interview with The Journal.
READ MORE: Protesters march from Biosciences Complex to Kingston’s downtown for higher postdoctoral wages
Emerson MacNeil, a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and PSAC901 co-chief steward echoed Morrow’s sentiments, saying the University’s “attempting to threaten and bully those on campus who care about their research and are trying to launch their careers as young academics,” in an interview with The Journal. Stewards are departmental union representatives who connect members with the Executive—the elected officials responsible for making decisions, negotiating on behalf of members, and overseeing the union’s activities and operations.
“[Here’s] The bottom line: trying to save money is more important to them [Queen’s] than being an academic institution and it’s deeply troubling,” MacNeil said. “It makes me question why I’m here. It’s embarrassing to say I went to Queen’s when I see things like this happening.”
Tags
Postdocs, postdoctoral scholars, PSAC 901, Unit 2, University
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