Ahead of next week’s strike deadline, campus unions have one message to their employer: fair wages and respect for workers can’t wait any longer.
Approximately 200 workers, union members, and local politicians gathered outside Richardson Hall on Jan. 30, withstanding the wind chill to demand fair wages, improved staffing, and better treatment from both the University and Aramark, the multinational corporation responsible for on-campus food services. The rally comes ahead of next week’s strike deadline.
The University’s negotiations with the unions started in late November to early December with the unions advocating for better working conditions and wages. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) set a strike deadline of Feb. 3 unless an agreement is reached.
CUPE members, including members from the Public Service Alliance of Canada 901 (PSAC 901), Kingston and The Islands Member of Parliament candidates, professors, and community members, united in their fight for dignified working conditions and demanded respect for their workers from the University.
“You deserve fair wages. You deserve respect and dignity. Our [PSAC and CUPE] struggles are the same. Do not let them tell you your co-worker, your neighbour, or your friend is the problem. The reason we are poor is because they are rich. The reason we are overworked they decided we should be,” PSAC 901 President Jake Morrow said to the crowd.
READ MORE: Strike deadlines loom through campus
Rally speakers raised concerns about Bill 124, which caps wage increases for public sector workers at one per cent annually. Although the province’s Bill 124 was repealed in 2023, many unions, including those in the Unity Council, which is composed of presidents and delegates from each of the unionized groups at the University, have remained subject to its restrictions despite the Ontario Supreme Court declaring the bill unconstitutional.
“They make us come out here and protest and go to last minute, e-mails all weekend long, missing sleep, and meanwhile, they just give themselves a 4.75 per cent raise and you know what they want to offer us, two per cent. It’s an insult. […]. This isn’t a budging issue. It’s a capital allocation issue. It’s a respect issue,” Shaun Baddeley, vice-president of CUPE 1302 representing Queen’s library technicians said during the rally.
The salary increase took effect just one day before the Principal’s staff appreciation barbeque on July 4. An email sent to Queen’s Management and Professional Group and obtained by the Queen’s Coalition Against Austerity confirmed members were granted pay increases ranging from 4.25 per cent to 4.75 per cent, effective July 1, 2024.
Amy Wilson, an Aramark employee, was originally scheduled to attend the rally but was sent back to work due to alleged work retaliation. A representative read her statement on her behalf, which emphasized the urgent need for fair wages and increased staff.
“We’re fighting for two key demands: fair wages and additional staff,” Wilson’s statement read. “Full-time staff are turning to food banks just to get by in a city where one in three homes can’t afford enough food. This is a crisis that demands action and empathy.”
CUPE President Fred Hahn traveled from his Toronto office to Kingston to stand in solidarity with the workers, urging the University to present a fair offer that recognizes their vital contributions to campus.
“People who feed the campus shouldn’t struggle to feed their families,” Hahn said during the rally. “And if they don’t take this warning today, if they don’t work overtime on the weekend to get an agreement like the one you deserve then I will be back with you on Monday and we will show them the power the works have together.”
Just a day before the rally, the University issued a statement on its Labour News page reaffirming its ongoing negotiations with CUPE locals to renew their collective agreements. Queen’s noted its commitment to reaching a fair deal, stating negotiations would continue through the weekend. They acknowledged the right of CUPE members to strike if an agreement isn’t reached.
“Negotiations are ongoing, and we remain cautiously optimistic that if both sides commit to working hard through the week and weekend, deals can be found that are fair to everyone and can be ratified by the parties involved,” Queen’s stated in their Labour News update.
Hours following the rally, at 5:22 p.m., students received an e-mail from the Office of the Provost reassuring them that, while negotiations are ongoing and there’s potential for work stoppage, the University will remain open, with classes and academic activities expected to continue as scheduled.
The e-mail confirmed that classes and academic activities will proceed as usual despite the strike, in the event of a job action by Aramark or University employees, hours of operation and services at dining halls and select retail food locations on campus may be reduced. However, students, faculty, and staff will still have access to these facilities.
After the rally, The Journal interviewed Hahn who expressed his frustration with the University’s handling of the situation. He urges Queen’s to approach negotiations with respect for union workers.
“Our members have been working together and standing up to fight for fairness at Queen’s. I can’t think of a better place for me to be than to be here supporting these brave people, many of whom are experiencing food insecurity and too many of whom have to have a second or third job to just make ends meet,” Hahn said.
“Time’s ticking, come back to the table, stop playing games. Do what’s right by these workers, work with the people who you rely on to make sure the University functions,” Hahn said.
Tags
CUPE, rally, strike, unity council
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.