Negotiations between the Syndicat des chargés de cours de l’UQTR and the employer resumed last Friday after a five week break. This marks the start of the conciliation process under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour and the first anniversary to the day that bargaining first got under way. For the union, this represents the start of a crucial phase during which time the members will become increasingly mobilized.
“The lack of progress during negotiations to date confirmed to lecturers that management pays little heed to them in terms of their presence at various levels and their working conditions. However, our members are currently giving 56 per cent of the lectures and are the first line of support for undergraduate students. In a context of labour shortages, management is playing a dangerous game with the future of the UQTR by not giving them the recognition they deserve. Conciliation will get them back on pace, as the time has come for management to finally give its negotiators a mandate to come up with an agreement,” explained union president Carole Neill.
“We will be holding a special general meeting in January to discuss pressure tactics in particular. The lecturers know full well what their expertise and their work are worth and are determined to get things moving,” added Carole Neill.
On November 4, the union, faced with dithering by the employer, left the bargaining table and requested that a conciliator be appointed. Since that time, the union’s awareness campaign that was launched on October 11 on a positive note has continued but become more scathing in the time since.
The campaign website is online at https://www.çapassepas.ca/ (in French only).