Bargaining Newsletter #4 :
Concordia works because WE do. 

This Spring, CREW’s bargaining team has held seven successful bargaining sessions with the University, and we have made good progress in our negotiations.

The CREW Bargaining Committee wants to extend its heartfelt thanks to the dozens of rank-and-file members who have taken part in open bargaining. Whether you've observed a session, helped with note-taking, assisted with the hybrid set-up, or provided valuable input on the happenings in and around the room, open bargaining has reminded us all that CREW is you. This democratic fighting union would be nothing without your support and participation, and we look forward to seeing you and many more of our comrades when we return to the table this Fall. 

Even though we won’t be meeting with the employer for the next two months, your Bargaining Committee will not be idle: we will be working hard all Summer on research and preparation for a negotiation-heavy Fall. Please reach out to us at bargaining@crew-csn.com if you want to participate in some of this Summer’s preparation work!
Throughout this process the Bargaining Committee has relied on considerable support from dozens of rank-and-file members who have observed our open bargaining, helped with note-taking, run our hybrid set-up, and shared their views on the sessions.

A special shout-out

to our outgoing Bargaining Officer, Colin Crawford, who handed over the reins to the recently elected Ria Mayer this June! We are so grateful to you for all the deep research, organizational development, and guiding leadership you provided as we kicked off negotiations with the employer. We are also thrilled to officially welcome Ria to the role of current Bargaining Officer as she takes on this critical position from the ranks of the Bargaining Committee. Her fire and dedication will be invaluable as we move into the next stages of negotiation with Concordia. 

• Come to an agreement regarding how members submit payment information (Article 21) (Negotiations on this topic are finalized)

• Made progress on clarifying and improving the Intellectual Property rights of TAs and RAs (Article 7) (Negotiations on this topic are close to completion)

• Begun redefining the Purpose (Article 1) of the CA to foreground our position as workers essential to the functioning of Concordia, as well as its core Definitions (Article 2) to make the CA as clear, readable, and accessible as possible (Ongoing)

• Made some improvements to the quality of member contact information we get from University and various related administrative processes (Articles 8 and 9) (Ongoing)

• Begun discussion of our Workplace Health and Safety policies (Article 17) (Ongoing)

We are quite close to an agreement on Article 7, and the majority of Article 2 – though definitions will be finalized at the end of the bargaining process to ensure consistency. However, in session #7, conversation on Article 1 proved to be more challenging due to an apparent fundamental difference between our and the employer’s perspectives as far as our role and rights as workers who are students at Concordia. This Fall, we expect new language on this article from the employer, as well as a return to negotiation on Articles 8 and 9 and a response to our proposed improvements on Workplace Health and Safety in Article 17.

Health and Safety is a critical issue for student workers, and as such it will continue to be at the core of our bargaining. If you have experienced unsafe work or would like to report potential risks you see in your workplace to the union, please fill out this form, or reach out to us at bargaining@crew-csn.com.

Come in September, we will need you more than ever!

Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events, workshops, and other opportunities to support yourself and your fellow workers as we show Concordia how ready we are to win the working conditions we need.

In solidarity, 

The Bargaining Action Team