Frequently Asked Questions

On this page, you’ll find answers about the reaffiliation campaign, bargaining (wages, dues, contracts), myth-busting and some union 101.

The Reaffiliation Campaign

  • We need a stronger union to build a stronger collective agreement with better wages, protections, and conditions. We need a more transparent and democratic union structure which will allow us to make our own decisions about the direction of our union. We need a union that campaigns for social change, as building a more just society is the foundation to creating better workplaces and labour conditions. With CSN, we now have the autonomy to build such a union.

    After many attempts to work with PSAC over the last years, it became clear that we would not be able make these changes and win what we so desperately need and deserve. With CSN, we will now actually be in control of our union and our bargaining demands, and will be in a much stronger position to enter into negotiations with the University once we are certified.

    CSN has a proven track record in the university sector, representing over 4500 workers in six other unions at Concordia. Together we can support each other in collective bargaining and win what we need to improve conditions of work at the University.

    CSN has also built a strong partnership with McGill TAs (AGSEM) over the past 30 years, where they make over $33/hr, $4 more than we do for the same work, have stronger contract processes and protections, and real autonomy over their bargaining demands.

    This ballot was a referendum on whether we wanted to accept the status quo of low percentage wage increases and poor services, or whether we believe a better, stronger, member-led union for TAs and RAs at Concordia is possible through a new union, CREW-CSN. With a 71.7% majority, the membership has made it clear that we need change.

  • On April 3rd, CREW-CSN submitted union cards to the Quebec labour board (the Tribunal Administratif du Travail; or TAT) so it could be formally recognized as the union that represents Concordia TAs and RAs. The judge presiding over our affiliation case affirmed that CREW-CSN had support from a clear majority of the 2100 TAs and RAs working on April 3rd, with PSAC-TRAC in the minority.

    During the labour board (TAT - Tribunal administratif du travail) hearings it was revealed that PSAC officers had failed to file TRAC’s previous collective agreement with the government. Their negligence left us without legal protections for over two years and placed our union in grave danger. However, it also opened a legal loophole for PSAC-TRAC to secretly re-file for certification on May 26th.

    We were confident that we have a strong legal basis to be fully certified if we were to fight this re-filing. However, to unravel the legal mess that PSAC-TRAC has made by re-filing would take years in court. During this time, they would collect all our dues and prevent us from bargaining for a better deal with Concordia. But due to our strong majority on April 3rd, we were eligible to settle this once and for all through a court-administered vote. We agreed to this secret ballot because we could accept any more delays by PSAC-TRAC to stop us from bargaining – we need a better collective agreement for better pay and conditions now.

Bargaining

  • We will be bargaining for a better deal once we have officially approved our collective demands through a vote at a general assembly. Now that we have ratified our new constitution and elected our new executive and bargaining committees, we are ready to consult the membership and begin negotiating with the university, likely early this winter semester.

  • We need major improvements to our current working conditions, such as:

    • Vital wage increases to combat the cost of living crisis, including rising prices and soaring rent, along with regular adjustments to match pay with inflation.

    • Retroactive compensation for delays to the bargaining process since the expiration of our last collective agreement, May 31, 2023.

    • Clear contract definitions and standards to guard against the rampant problem of overwork.

    • Timely contract processing and payment to put an end to the widespread issue of working before or without a contract and unacceptably delayed paycheques.

    • Equal pay for RAs meaning undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral student-workers will all be paid equal rates for equal work.

    • A more democratic and inclusive union structure to push forward the demands of members on issues such as workplace safety issues, and improved services and training.

  • CSN is one of the largest and most respected union federations in Quebec, representing 325,000+ workers in 1600+ unoons. They have a proven track record in the university sector, building a strong partnership with McGill TAs (AGSEM) over the past 30 years, where they make over $33/hr, $4 more than we do for the same work, have stronger contract processes and protections, and real autonomy over their bargaining demands.

    They also represent 4500 workers in six other unions at Concordia. Together we can support each other in collective bargaining and win what we need and improve overall conditions of work at the University.

    CSN is also headquartered here in our city offering a wide range of services available to us, from legal services, to printing, training, and accounting.

Myth-busting

  • Our pay rates are determined by a contract, the “collective agreement,” that we sign collectively with the university every 2-4 years during a designated period of negotiations.

    In order for us to get the pay rise we deserve it is necessary for our union to negotiate with the employer directly, members need to be the ones leading negotiations.

    CREW has drafted bargaining demands that reflect the needs thousands of members have expressed to us over the past year. This is a dynamic process that we continue to work on so that we can be prepared for when we do go to the bargaining table, hopefully early this winter semester. With CSN we are now in a much stronger position to win what we need in bargaining, including a meaningful pay raise.

  • The retroactive period is where our new rate of pay applies but we were paid at our old rate. It starts on the day following the expiry date of the previous collective agreement (May 31, 2023) and it ends the day before our new salary takes effect in the pay system. You are owed the difference between your old and new rates of pay for the retroactive period. This amount may be paid out to you over more than one pay period.

    CREW’s bargaining platform supports the demand for retro pay, but we will vote on this issue as a union in upcoming General Assemblies specific to bargaining.

  • Pay that rises with inflation should be an absolute, immovable minimum because anything less than that is effectively a pay cut.

    Winning a better deal requires demonstrating to the university that we are organized, united, and able to strike in order to threaten their day-to-day operations if they don’t agree to our demands. We need to build member engagement, care, and capacity in order to achieve this. We need a large number of activated members to join in. We absolutely need support from our federation such as training, guidance, and easy access to resources including strike funds.

  • The total amount of union dues each member pays will not go up unless it’s approved by a majority vote at a General Assembly, and dues cannot be raised unilaterally through reaffiliation. Some CSN unions have decided, through these democratic processes, to raise the rate of their dues as an investment in the future of the union. CREW is not obligated to do the same, and we can decide this for ourselves after certification – every CREW member will have the opportunity to participate in this decision.

Union 101: What is a union? What is a collective agreement?

  • A labour union is a legal organization of employees who work together to improve their working conditions. A union can be accredited to represent some group of employees (recognized the government as their official union representative), in which case it negotiates a Collective Agreement that acts as the shared work contract for all of the employees it represents.

  • A collective agreement is a written contract between the employer and a union that outlines many of the terms and conditions of employment for employees in a bargaining unit. The terms and conditions are reached through collective bargaining between the employer and the union. The kinds of terms and conditions covered by a collective agreement typically include wages and benefits, as well as terms and conditions of employment that relate to e.g., job postings; obligations and responsibilities of the employer, the employee and the union; and a dispute resolution process (usually a grievance and arbitration procedure).

  • Quite common! Roughly 38% of all workers were unionized in Quebec, and 29% across Canada. This rate is notably higher among workers in the education sector. For example, most positions at Concordia are unionized.

    All employees maintain the legal right to belong to and participate in a union, guaranteed under article 3 of the Quebec Labour Code.

Have outstanding questions or need for clarification? Write to us at hello@crew-csn.com