Unit3
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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.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).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.As summer winds down, our bargaining team is pushing forward to secure strong protections for academic workers. With several key non-monetary issues still on the table, our final session of the season focused on strengthening our rights at work - from job security and workplace solidarity to control over our personal information. Every article we sign brings us closer to a fair and dignified contract for all academic casuals. Read on to find out what we accomplished and how it impacts you.June was a very big month for AGSEM’s Unit 3. Back in 2024, we successfully formed this unit for Course-Based Academic Casuals by unionizing hundreds of student workers in a wide range of positions, such as graders, course tutors, and course assistants. We began negotiating the inaugural Unit 3 agreement with McGill in March 2025, and we have been discussing our non-monetary proposals. Last month represents a huge step forward: over the course of three bargaining sessions, we signed two articles and we have laid the groundwork to finalize more in the upcoming months!We were back May 2nd for our third round of negotiations with McGill!
Present for our Unit 3 bargaining team was Jordan Cowie (1L, Grader & Course Tutor, Management/Law), Bronwyn Walsh (4th year Undergraduate, Grader & Course Assistant, in Math & Stats), and Donald Morard (PhD Candidate, Grader, History), along with our advisor from the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ), Guillaume Forest-Allard. We were also delighted to have our new Unit 3 grievance officer Connor O’Keefe with us.AGSEM’s Unit 3 Bargaining Committee met with McGill for the second round of negotiations!
Our side of the table again consisted of Jordan Cowie (1L, Grader & Course Tutor, Management/Law), Bronwyn Walsh (4th year Undergraduate, Grader & Course Assistant, in Math & Stats), and Donald Morard (PhD Candidate, Grader, History), along with our advisor from the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ), Guillaume Forest-Allard. Cal Koger-Pease, our Unit 1 Grievance Officer, was able to join us remotely through Zoom.