The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) is the oldest Teaching Assistant Union in the province of Quebec. As a labour union, AGSEM represents graduate Teaching Assistants, Invigilators, and Course-Based Academic Casuals at McGill. AGSEM has bargained with the McGill administration to produce TA and Invigilator Collective Agreements, which are legal documents that protect student workers.
Recent NewsConflicts of Interest, Safe Spaces, and Union Democracy at the Table – Bargaining Update #8
This week, we brought McGill our counter-proposal for Article 14, which covers general provisions within the unit. Within Article 14, we were able to secure important health and safety protections at this session, and we presented a clear conflict of interest (COI) policy, as per the mandate our workers gave us. Our proposed policy built upon McGill’s existing COI, but specified to apply in situations like when a grader has friends in that class.
New article signed! Health and Safety in the works, but McGill reluctant to add protections against harassment and discrimination – Bargaining Update #7
Despite the foggy morning, the mood in the negotiation room was bright—after setting the groundwork last week, we signed off on Article 3, preserving AGSEM’s ability to receive relevant information from McGill that impacts your working conditions. We are looking forward to carrying this momentum into our upcoming negotiation sessions. On our side of the table were Jordan Cowie (1L, Grader & Course Tutor, Management/Law), Bronwyn Walsh (Recent Graduate, Grader & Course Assistant, Math & Stats), Connor O’Keefe (Undergraduate, Course Assistant, Math & Stats), Donald Morard (PhD Candidate, Grader, History), and Guillaume Forest-Allard, our advisor from our affiliate union Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ).
Back to School, Back to the Table – Bargaining Update #6
With the semester officially underway, our bargaining team has resumed negotiations in the first of many sessions scheduled for this fall! This meeting was formative in setting the groundwork for a number of key non-monetary articles. We made substantive steps toward completing Articles 6 and 14, both of which protect worker health, safety, and well-being. Representing AGSEM were Jordan Cowie (1L, Grader & Course Tutor, Management/Law), Bronwyn Walsh (Recent Graduate, Grader & Course Assistant, Math & Stats), Connor O’Keefe (Undergraduate, USCA, Math & Stats), and Donald Morard (PhD Candidate, Grader, History), Guillaume Forest-Allard, our advisor from our affiliate union Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ), and Dallas Jokic, AGSEM co-president.