Hey Team,
Hope summer is treating you well, and you’re not melting too much. We got some quick, awesome info for you to keep you well treated in the workplace. So check out all these great updates, and find us on our brand-spanking new twitter account (@AMUSE_PSAC).
Pay Equity
AMUSE now has access to the new rates of pay applicable to our full-time (Group 1 and 2) members for the period of June 1st 2012 to today. These are pay rate adjustments in order to comply with law on pay equity. McGill will be sending a notice to individual HR advisors about these new rates and full-time casuals should expect to see these adjustments made some time in August 2014, following an agreement between the Union and the University as to how these rates will be incorporated into our existing collective agreement. Retroactive adjustment payments will be forthcoming, but there are still some outstanding issues for AMUSE and McGill to resolve on this front.
Bargaining Surveys
Unit A’s collective agreement with McGill, which covers the working conditions of temporary full-time and part-time support employees at the university, is set to expire in April 2015. So after over two years with the current contract, AMUSE is preparing to bargain a second contract with McGill! We hope to make significant gains and use the negotiations as an opportunity to improve your job and the jobs of all casual support staff at McGill. However, the bargaining team needs everyone’s help - we need to know what you would like changed, and what your priorities are.
Please take a few minutes to fill out our bargaining survey. It won’t take long, but will go a long way in giving your bargaining team a strong mandate and a clear picture of what you want to fight for!
Note: Thank you to all the Floor Fellows who filled out the Floor Fellow bargaining survey last month. Your responses were amazing! Floor Fellow reps will get in touch soon with updated definitions and ideas based on your survey responses. If you didn’t get a chance to fill out the survey but still want to do so or to offer other comments, please email Allison at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).
CKUT Interview
Allison and Agatha went to talk to CKUT about the unionization of floor fellows! Have a listen here.
Summer Fridays
It’s become evident that many full-time casual employees are prevented from coming to work on days where the majority of their office or department is off for ‘Summer Fridays’ or ‘Summer Flex Days’. It’s also evidently unjust to be prevented from coming to work when you have a full-time contract! AMUSE has recently proposed a letter of agreement to McGill that would grant full-time casual employees the right to come to work on those days, and where it would not be possible, to make up the hours of work lost at a later date. If a letter of agreement is signed, this would become standard practice. McGill has said they will present AMUSE with a counter-offer in the near future. Please keep an eye out for developments on this important issue!
Statement in Solidarity with Gaza
The AMUSE Board of Representatives approved a statement in support with Gaza, which can be read here.
Updated Summer Office Hours
Please note that our office hours have changed slightly.
Monday 4-6pm (Treasurer)
Tuesday 4-6pm (President)
Wednesday 12-2pm (Labour)
Thursday 3-4:30pm (Communications)
Friday 12-2pm (Internal)
