As negotiations between Queen’s University and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and its Local 901 continue towards achieving a negotiated renewal of the Unit 1 Collective Agreement, PSAC has requested the Ministry of Labour to issue a No Board Report.
A No Board Report, from the time it is issued, starts a 17-day countdown to a legal strike or lockout date. This does not mean a strike or lockout will occur, as the parties can continue to meet and negotiate, but on or after that date members of the bargaining unit are legally permitted to strike and the employer may legally lock them out.
The university and PSAC Local 901 (Unit 1), which represents Graduate Teaching Assistants, Graduate Teaching Fellows, Graduate Research Assistants, and Juris Doctor (JD) and Medical Doctor (MD) enrolled students employed as Teaching Assistants, have been meeting since November 18, 2024. The Collective Agreement expired on April 30, 2024.
A provincially-appointed conciliator has conferred with the parties but a tentative agreement has not yet been reached.
Conciliation is a process by which a conciliation officer is appointed by the Minister of Labour to meet with the union and the employer to attempt to conclude a collective agreement. It is a normal feature of the collective bargaining process and has helped the parties reach collective agreements in previous rounds. It is a necessary step before a party can request a No Board Report.
The university values the contributions of its employees and respects the collective bargaining process. The university remains committed to continuing to work with the union in the interest of reaching an agreement but has prepared contingency plans to mitigate the impact of a strike or lockout. Information on these plans will be shared with students, faculty and staff when and as appropriate.
Once a tentative agreement is reached, it will be announced in Labour News but details will remain confidential until the agreement is ratified by both parties. More information can be found in the Labour News Frequently Asked Questions.