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Queen’s University is currently engaged in collective bargaining with two unions that represent employees on campus – Public Service Alliance of Canada and its Local 901 (PSAC), and United Steelworkers (USW) and its Local 2010 – in efforts to reach tentative agreements to renew their Collective Agreements.

PSAC Local 901 (Unit 1) represents approximately 2,000 graduate students who are employed part-time as Graduate Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Graduate Research Assistants, and JD/MD-enrolled students employed as Teaching Assistants. USW Local 2010 (General Support Staff) represents about 1,200 staff working at the university.

Negotiations are ongoing, and the university remains cautiously optimistic that tentative agreements to renew these collective agreements can be accomplished by the parties involved.

Requests from both unions saw the Ministry of Labour issue No Board Reports in February. These reports began a countdown that will allow general support staff represented by USW Local 2010 to legally call a strike and the employer may legally initiate a lockout, as of Sunday, March 9, at 12:01 a.m. Similarly, PSAC Local 901 Unit 1 will be able to legally strike, and the university will be legally able to lock them out, as of Monday, March 10, at 12:01 a.m. In either case, this does not mean strikes or lockouts will necessarily occur on or after these dates.  

Queen’s respects the bargaining process, but has contingency plans prepared in the event of a strike or lockout to minimize the impact on the university community. The university has begun sharing this information directly with students, staff and faculty, noting if there is a strike or lockout, the university will remain open, and classes are expected to continue as scheduled. All students are expected to continue their studies, including attending classes.

All non-striking bargaining unit members, even those whose unions are actively in collective bargaining with the university or are a member of PSAC or USW but a different bargaining unit than PSAC Unit 1 or USW General Support Staff, are expected to continue to work as per Ontario’s Labour Relations Act.

Information is also being shared with the campus community through Labour News Frequently Asked Questions.