McGill University: Progress Report on the Strike by Casual Employees

MONTREAL, Nov. 4, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Yesterday, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Quebec Region (PSAC-Quebec), and the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) ended the strike that began last Saturday.

"Our strike did its job and our members are pleased," said Claire Michela, President of AMUSE. Our picket lines disrupted the employer's activities. For instance, the people who came to listen to Edward Snowden on Wednesday evening were met by a picket line of AMUSE members who would ordinarily have worked at the event. Mr. Snowden was kind enough to acknowledge our struggle."

As you will recall, the AMUSE members' collective agreement expired on April 19, 2015. The bargaining process is a slow one. On October 20, after some 20 meetings, half of them in the presence of a conciliator, the AMUSE members gave their bargaining team a strike mandate. The union's monetary demands have been tabled for some time, still with no word on the issue from McGill.

"We want to improve our working and living conditions," Ms. Michela continued. "We want at least $15 an hour for the work we do. After five days of strike action, I think McGill has got the message that we are serious about our demands. The ball is in its court."

It should be noted that the minimum wage being offered the AMUSE members is $10.85 an hour. The permanent workers performing similar work currently earn at least $18.51 an hour.

About AMUSE

AMUSE is a PSAC-Quebec local. It has nearly 1,000 members who work at McGill University as casual support employees.

About PSAC-Quebec

PSAC represents more than 180,000 members across Canada. PSAC-Quebec is affiliated with the FTQ and has more than 40,000 members in the federal public, university and private sectors.

SOURCE Alliance de la Fonction publique du Canada, région du Québec

Vincent-Carl Leriche, PSAC-Quebec, 438-324-0561