There are soooo many great things happening in our union these days! We will have a longer newsletter in early May to update you on news in your union and community. In the meantime, here is a little news blast to tide you over. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events!
Over 100,000 federal workers are currently on strike across Canada. Friendly reminder: stand in solidarity with your fellow workers—don't cross any picket lines! Join a picket if you have the capacity!
Contents
Meetings and Events
Meet Your Delegate
Meetings and Events
TA Bargaining Priorities Assembly, April 27
Tomorrow night, Thursday, April 27, we have our TA Assembly! At this meeting, we will identify the problems in our work as TAs and translate that into actionable solutions that we will demand in our bargaining this fall! We’ll also elect workers to sit at the negotiating table and to support bargaining through research and mobilization.
Do you have something about your work as a TA that you’re frustrated about? Do you have ideas to improve our contract? Do you want to run for the bargaining committee or one of the committees that support bargaining? Attend this meeting!
TA Assembly - Thursday, April 27
All TAs who have worked in the past 12 months can attend and vote
5:30-8:00pm (approx.) (with a break!)
Leacock 219 and online
Dinner will be served!
Sign your membership form before the meeting
Invigilator Pizza Party, April 28
On Friday, April 28 at 6:30pm, invigilators are invited to a pizza party to celebrate the end of the Winter exam session! Please RSVP if you have not already so we can order enough pizza for all! Remember to sign your membership form before the party.
May Day Walkout for Livable Grad & Postdoc Stipends! (May 1)
Join us on May 1 for a nation-wide walkout in support of liveable stipends for graduate students! Federal Tri-Council awards (SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR) have stagnated since 2005. There are not enough funding opportunities for international students. At the same time, inflation is out of control!
Join your fellow grad students and postdocs in walking out to tell the government that we have had enough. We deserve livable stipends!
Faculty, undergrads, and friends welcome! Hosted by AGSEM in coordination with Support Our Science.
We will have activities from 2-7pm. Join us whenever you are able!
2 pm rally & sign-making at Y intersection on campus
3 pm walk to Concordia
4 pm head to march with Concordia TA union CREW
5:30 pm International Workers' Day march at Parc du Souvenir (Verdun Metro)
7 pm march ends at Parc Madeline-Parent (Charlevoix Metro)
Meet Your Delegate
“I think that, as graduate students, we are in an inherently precarious position in terms of our labor and how it is valued. Participating in AGSEM's actions is a powerful tool because it allows us to directly have a say over our working conditions and compensation in some capacity when we might otherwise feel pretty powerless as graduate students.”
Read our Q&A with Kim Gruver, an AGSEM Biology TA Delegate and a PhD candidate in the Integrated Program for Neuroscience. Kim and Nick also took over our instagram this week to advertise for our TA Assembly!
Want to get to know other AGSEM delegates? Read more Q&As here.
Your Executive and Mobilization Committees
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