Concordia staff union common front updates

CUSSU, CULEU, STTMC, CREW, and CUUSS-TS are participating in a common front this negotiation period.

We have commited to sharing information and mobilizing jointly in order to increase our leverage at the bargaining table.

We are all facing a similar situation. Concordia is in a budget crisis and the world economy is in a poor state.
Our members, like many other workers in Quebec, are being asked to pay for a crisis that we did not make. We are being asked to take 0 or minimal pay increases. To work harder to cover for positions the university has abolished to save money.

Education suffers because of the drop in service. Faculty and students cannot teach and learn if the lights are not or the building is flooded. Cuts to the staff are cuts to the services. We cannot keep university offices and infrastructure running as well as we used to because we lack the resources.

We run this website to help keep workers, students, and faculty (and ourselves) aware of where we are at in our negotiations with the university. It will be updated, so please bookmark it.

Negotiation status per union

CUSSU - regular bargaining

CULEU - regular bargaining

STTMC - regular bargaining

CREW - headed towards concilliation and adopting pressure tactics mandate

CUUSS-TS - headed towards concilliation

FAQ

How does the legal collective bargaining (union) process work?

When the previous collective agreement (our work contract with Concordia) expires, it needs to be re-negotiated. Everything in the contract is up for debate. The worker's union wants to improve the contract for its members, while the employer wants to make sure it costs as little as possible.

When an agreement cannot be reached and the workers are in a negotiation deadlock with the bosses, the Quebec Ministry of Travail will resolve the deadlock with a legal process. The process has three stages:
Mediation - A government mediator meets with both parties and tries to find common ground
Concillation - A government mediator meets with both parties and tries really hard to find common ground
Arbitration - A judge or other official representative meets with both parties and renders a legal judgement, imposing the outcome of the negotiation and dictating the terms of the contract

How can you help?

At the end of the day, the terms of the contract will depend on the strength of our union membership and the solidarity that we have with the other workers, staff, and students at Concordia. We may need to prove in practice what value that we bring to education everyday. In the case of a strike, where we cease working, we will count on the support of the Concordia community.

Spread the word - tell people what we are fighting for! Check out our demands page for a list.
Share our social media posts (social media link..)
Pass statements and resolutions in your local associations in support of our negotiations
Talk to the workers! Ask how union negotiations are going
Come to our events!