Past General Assemblies
April 23, 6:00-9:00pm
MB Building (1600 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest) & on Zoom
Annual General Assembly (AGA)
At this we updated members on the status of our bargaining campaign, reviewed and amended our budget, and held elections for our next Executive Committee!
CREW members have voted for a bargaining mandate that includes a pay raise well above inflation to combat the cost of living crisis, as well as formalized hiring processes, stronger definitions, safety standards, retroactive pay, and much more. The changes we need just to have secure and safe jobs are significant and ambitious. Get involved with our Bargaining Campaign to help thousands of current and future TAs and RAs win better working conditions! Concordia works because WE do.
Executive Committee Election Results
General Coordinator - Rob Hunt, PhD Communication Studies
General Secretary - Parmiss Shahinfard, MSc Computer Science
Internal Affairs Officer - Saikat Bagchi, PhD Building, Civil, & Environmental Engineering
External Affairs Officer - Lauren Laframboise, PhD History
Bargaining Officer - Ria Mayer, MA Philosophy
Grievance Officer - n/a
Mobilization Officer - Fabrizio Lacarra Ramirez, MA English
Mobilization Officer - Emilie Girard, MSc Geography, Urban & Environmental Studies
Communications Officer - Sabina Gámez Ibarra, MFA Studio Arts
March 14, 6:00-9:00pm
CSN (1601 de Lorimier)
& online
Special General Assembly
At this Special General Assembly we heard the Bargaining Action Team’s proposed demands, discussed and amended them, and officially approved the Bargaining Committee’s mandate for negotiations!
We need a pay raise above inflation. We need real health and safety protections. We need to strengthen our hiring processes and workload forms. Concordia works because we do. Its time our Collective Agreement reflects this.
We will soon be launching our campaign, so stay tuned, and reach out to bargaining@crew-csn.com if you have any questions or want to get involved.
Jan 18th, 2024
6-9pm
CSN, 1601 de Lorimier
General Assembly
The second CREW General Assembly was held on January 18th, 2024. Here we elected an Interim Executive Committee, a Bargaining Committee, and passed a budget.
Election Results
Interim Executive Committee
General Coordinator - Rob Hunt, PhD Communication Studies
General Secretary - Parmiss Shahinfard, MSc Computer Science
Internal Affairs Officer - Zach Mitchell, MA History
External Affairs Officer - Lauren Laframboise, PhD History
Bargaining Officer - Colin Crawford, PhD Film Studies
Grievance Officer - Saskia Kowalchuk, MA Communication Studies
Mobilization Officer - Fabrizio Lacarra Ramirez, MA English
Mobilization Officer - Becca Wilgosh, PhD Geography
Communications Officer - Sabina Gámez Ibarra, MFA Studio Arts
Bargaining Committee
Ria Mayer - MA Philosophy
Stephen Friedrich - MDes Design & Computation Arts
Abi Hodson - MFA Studio Arts
Jason Langford - MA Geography
Dec 12th, 2023
6-9pm
McGill, Leacock 202
General Assembly
The first CREW General Assembly was held on Tuesday, December 12th from 6:00 - 9:00 PM, at McGill (location provided with registration) and over Zoom. we had a great turnout to our inaugural CREW General Assembly (minutes here), and officially ratified our Constitution, the document which establishes the basic structure and procedures of our union. We had a number of lively and engaged discussions on several important issues, such as the setting of our dues (Article 9.1), our objectives as a union (Article 5), and a motion of Solidarity with Palestine.
Key Highlights from the General Assembly
Adoption of the Constitution
The General Assembly amended and adopted the proposed Constitution. This is a key step in building a more democratic and transparent union as this document, among other things, establishes the various bodies which make up our union, defines their responsibilities, and outlines how they will function and interrelate moving forward.
It is important to note that the Constitution is not static: it can be amended by future General Assemblies if so desired or required (Articles 79 and 80). It is equally important to recognize that the Constitution is not meant to be exhaustive in its contents. Rather, it is meant to establish a baseline so that the union can function. A second document, known as a Policy Manual, will elaborate on the procedures of the Union and may also be amended by future General Assemblies (Article 56).
Motion passed: Rate of Union Dues Set at 2%
The General Assembly discussed at length and passed the proposed motion to set the rate of union dues at 2% to fund the operations of the union, and to begin raising funds for our upcoming negotiations with Concordia. Dues are a regular payment from members that fund the operation of the union; by each contributing a fraction of our paycheques, we are able to better our collective working and living conditions. Dues allow the union to finance negotiations for and enforcement of our Collective Agreement, and to fund member-driven programs like workshops, committees, and campaigns that address workplace issues. A portion of our dues also go to the CSN federations listed below for vital resources such as strike fund access, legal and financial support, and training, advisory, and negotiation services. Union finances are ultimately controlled by the General Assembly, so the membership has the final say on how their dues are used!
2% Dues breakdown
0.06% CCMM (Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain-CSN)
0.5% FNEEQ (Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec-CSN)
0.72% CSN (Confédération des syndicats nationaux)
0.72% CREW (Concordia Research and Education Workers’ Union)
*FNEEQ & CCMM fees are waived for the first 180 days after certification (until May 12, 2024).
Motion passed: CREW-CSN’s Solidarity with Palestine
CREW-CSN extends our deepest sympathies to our members and community at large grieving the indiscriminate killing, maiming, and capturing of Palestinians in Gaza and Occupied Palestine, and to those living in the diaspora. We are proud to share our motion for Solidarity with Palestine, and to share our commitment to mobilizing our members, participating in solidarity events, and to endorse the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Please review our motion here.