What is a Collective Agreement?
A Collective Agreement is the contract negotiated between your union, TSUM, and your employer, McGill, to define your labour rights. The Collective Agreement defines your rights as a worker, other than those contained in provincial and federal law. This includes your wage, hiring and priority, training, disciplinary measures, and leaves of absence. Collective Agreements apply to all workers within a bargaining unit.
TSUM has two Collective Agreements, one for Teaching Assistants and one for Invigilators.
Each Collective Agreement has an expiration date. As this deadline approaches, we prepare to enter into negotiations with the employer for a new contract. In between when an agreement is expired and when an assembly of members of that unit approves a new one and it is signed by the Bargaining Committee, the previous agreement remains in force and “frozen” in place—even the wage. Any retroactive wage increase must be part of the negotiations and will be paid as a lump sum after the new agreement is signed.
What we are able to win in our next Collective Agreement is always up to us, the workers! Stay up to date with the progress of negotiations with our newsletters, and get involved at assemblies, rallies, and in your departments. Contact mobilization@agsem-aeedem.ca if you want to learn more about how you can get further involved with organizing for better working conditions!