MONTREAL, March 12, 2025 /CNW/ - Having still not received a satisfactory offer from Concordia University, the more than 2000 teaching and research assistants represented by the Concordia Research and Education Workers (CREW–CSN) will begin an unlimited strike this Wednesday, putting the end-of-term in peril. More than 3000 tutorials, conferences and laboratories will be affected.
"The message from CREW members is clear: we can't afford to accept Concordia's salary offer. We are both students and precarious workers, bearing the brunt of dramatic increases in the cost of housing and groceries, as well as tuition and fees," explains Jason Langford, member of the Bargaining Committee.
In February, members voted 95% in favor of a strike mandate, amid negotiations underway over the last year for the renewal of their collective agreement. The union is demanding a substantial pay raise to offset the increasing cost of living, alongside job security measures.
"Higher education is becoming less and less accessible. Between escalating tuition fees and the rising cost of living, students are caught between a rock and a hard place. Improving their working conditions will have a direct impact on the affordability of their studies," says Caroline Senneville, President of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN).
"The union has given negotiations a real chance, but we've hit a brick wall on the management side. Let's hope the strike gives them the opportunity to find a way through," adds Saleha Hedaraly, Vice-President of the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ–CSN).
"From now on, the only way forward will be solidarity. CREW is lucky to count on the support of the Concordia student community as well as its workers and all 300 000 CSN members," concludes Chantal Ide, Vice-President of the Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain–CSN.
SOURCE CSN
Camila Rodriguez-Cea, 438 882-1275 or [email protected]
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