Frequently Asked Questions

Strike / Pay Periods

Please note that the strike period overlaps 2 regular pay periods.

The University pays us for work performed, so you will receive a pay from the university on September 19th, for 7 days before the strike started.

On October 3rd, you will only receive pay for 3 days unless the strike ends before the current pay period.

You may also be eligible for the strike benefit from CSN. The CSN provides $320.00 for a full 20 hours. This is a simple all or nothing amount.

The CUPEU portion is $680.00 and can be prorated by days (4 hours constitutes a day), so each day is $136.00.

If you only miss one day and do not make up the day you will receive 1000 – 320 (CSN portion) -136 ( CUPEU portion) = $544.00.

If you miss more days and do not make them up you will lose $136.00 per day missed until it reaches $0.00.

Strike Days

Can I bring my dog/children to the strike?

Legally, yes, but please note that strikes/picket lines can be rowdy. This may not be the best environment for creatures who may be sensitive to such things.

What if I have an issue that I need accommodation for?

Please contact your Team Captain and/or write to cupeumedia+strike@gmail.com

How is this going to work exactly?

Strike hours are from 9AM to 3PM. For each day:

Go to your selected campus (LOY or SGW).
Find the sign in tables and sign in. Exact locations will be communicated.
Picket for 4 hours.
Sign out where you signed in.

Picket signs?

Please bring yours home if you can, if not leave it with us and we’ll make them available again the next day. The less organizers have to clean up, the sooner we can get back to our families.

Strike Mandate

How long could the strike last?

We voted for a limited two week strike. We will convene after every five strike days to discuss.

How much is strike pay?

1000$ per week, earned by showing up for 4 hours per day. This is the total CSN+CUPEU amount. Tax free.

What is required in order to secure strike pay?

It is required to participate in strike activities for 20 hours per week in order to receive strike pay. The attendance table will be set up between 9AM and 3PM and you must* do 4 hours each day. Contact your Team Captain if you have any questions about this.

When is strike pay paid out?

When strike pay is confirmed to have been acquired, cheques will be distributed in the following weeks.

Will codifying Hybrid Work rights in our collective agreement result in a smaller salary increase?

The concept of hybrid work is not to reduce productivity or otherwise reduce an employee’s contribution. Productivity can even increase while working from home and so there is no reason for salaries to be negatively impacted by earning Hybrid Work rights. If we strike, it will be for Hybrid Work rights as well as the maximum salary increase.

What happens to employees who do not agree with the strike?

If the union goes on strike, all members are on strike. On top of the University halting payments, it is also likely that the University will temporarily remove access to employee systems. With that said, share your concerns with your fellow union members so that we can act in everyone’s best interest.

What happens if I am on vacation or on leave when the strike is called and I cannot picket?

Vacation and personal days will not be paid by the University, however, nor will these days be deducted from your vacation bank.

Members on Sabbatical, Medical leave, Parental leave or other leaves will not be impacted by the strike.

Would a strike impact our Pension Plan?

It is standard practice, when discussing the back-to-work protocol post-strike, to ensure that no benefits are lost.

If I am working outside of the city (excluding remote work) for Concordia and cannot get back to the picket line on time, can I benefit from the strike fund?

We can work on finding solutions so that these members can contribute in other ways to the strike effort and benefit from the strike fund. Extended shifts will allow some members in exceptional circumstances to make up some time.

Do I have to strike?

In addition to the fact that Concordia will remove our physical and virtual access from/to all systems/facilities, once we adopted the strike mandate, the entire membership is to act as one without exception.

Here is the relevant paragraph of Labour Code C-27, with respect to strikes:

109.1. For the duration of a strike declared in accordance with this Code or a lock-out, every employer is prohibited from
(a) utilizing the services of a person to discharge the duties of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit then on strike or locked out when such person was hired between the day the negotiation stage begins and the end of the strike or lock-out;
(b) utilizing, in the establishment where the strike or lock-out has been declared, the services of a person employed by another employer or the services of another contractor to discharge the duties of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on strike or locked out;
(c) utilizing, in an establishment where a strike or lock-out has been declared, the services of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit then on strike or locked out unless
i. an agreement has been reached for that purpose between the parties, to the extent that the agreement so provides, and, in the case of an institution contemplated in section 111.2, unless the agreement has been approved by the Tribunal;
ii. in a public service, a list has been transmitted or, in the case of an institution contemplated in section 111.2, approved pursuant to Chapter V.1, to the extent that the list so provides;
iii. in a public service, a decision has been rendered pursuant to section 111.0.24;
(d) utilizing, in another of his establishments, the services of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit then on strike or locked out;
(e) utilizing, in an establishment where a strike or lock-out has been declared, the services of an employee he employs in another establishment;
(f) utilizing, in an establishment where a strike or a lock-out has been declared, the services of a person other than an employee he employs in another establishment, except where the employees of the latter establishment are members of the bargaining unit on strike or locked out;
(g) utilizing, in an establishment where a strike or lock-out has been declared, the services of an employee he employs in the establishment to discharge the duties of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit on strike or locked out.

Negotiations 2024

What is CUPEU asking for in terms of Hybrid?

We have proposed to include hybrid work as a choice for up to 60% in our collective agreement (CA). Most CUPEU members want to keep hybrid work and in order to achieve this we will have to fight; the University is refusing to even negotiate on officially recognizing hybrid work in our CA.

Keep in mind that at any moment, the University can terminate the current hybrid agreement and call us all back into the office 5 days a week.

Is Hybrid a monetary item?

Hybrid is not considered a monetary item. There is no direct relationship between hybrid work rights and salary increases. The negotiation team is pushing for hybrid rights as well the maximum salary increase; we do not consider these to be competing demands.

What about salaries?

Monetary items are negotiated last. Thus, we have not reached the salary component to the negotiations yet.

What are our salary demands?

Our salary demands were shared at our last AGM. The figures are capped to a maximum of what CUFA was given (due to the terms of their collective agreement). Reach out to a Union rep for more detailed information.

Mobilization 2024

What are our salary demands?

Can my manager ask me to remove the stickers I have put up?

Your manager can ask you to remove stickers, but you are not obliged to do this unless it is in your job description. We do however request that you place removable stickers strategically in your designated workplace area and not in public areas.

What is the budget for Union Coffee Breaks?

There’s no fixed budget but the idea is we are offering to buy one coffee per person who shows up. This should amount to ~40$ per QB or ~3$ per member.

Email Campaign

Could there be repercussions for sending an email to our manager about Hybrid Work?

The Flexible / Hybrid Work Guidelines provided by the University outline the formal method for requesting a modified hybrid work arrangement. Not only will employees not be reprimanded for utilizing this mechanism, it is the mechanism recommended by the University itself.

Remaining polite and respectful is always recommended when communicating with others.

*If you feel like your rights are not being respected, please reach out to your union representative.