Previous newsletter.

La version française.

Dear AGSEM members, old and new,

We wish you a successful start of the Winter semester!

The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) is the oldest TA union in Quebec, and represents both Teaching Assistants and Invigilators employed at McGill. This newsletter has some important information about upcoming events, training sessions and meetings, as well as your labour rights.

Contents

• Training, Workshops, and Events
• Important Reminders
• Negotiations, Labor Relations, and Unionization Drive
• In the Community

Training, Workshops, and Events

Skillsets TA Training

*La version française suit.*

COVID-19 Response

The Unionization Drive Committee, like all AGSEM committees, has taken steps to prioritize public health and reassess its plan for the immediate future. As of last week, the unionization drive is set to continue in a restricted capacity: any and all mobilization events as part of the drive are to be online-only, and all campus presence with respect to student organizations, associations, societies, faculties, and departments will be solely electronic until further notice.

However, in recent years there has been a drastic increase in the number of non-unionized academic support positions on campus. This group of employees includes, but is not limited to, markers, graders, tutors, note-takers, facilitators, mentors, course assistants, group assistants, student assistants, TEAM TAs, academic casuals, placement exam administrators, as well as many academic casuals who are referred to as teaching assistants but denied union representation and the benefits of the TA collective agreement.

On Wednesday, October 2, AGSEM President Kiersten van Vliet, TA Chair of Bargaining Jessica Rose, and Chair of the Unionization Drive Rafael Finn gave a presentation at PGSS Council. There was a brief overview of AGSEM’s structure and Delegates’ Council, an update on TA Bargaining, and the official launch of our drive to unionize graders, note-takers, course assistants, and all other non-unionized academic workers.

Download our slides here.

Learn more about our Unionization Drive here.

On Wednesday, October 2, AGSEM President Kiersten van Vliet, TA Chair of Bargaining Jessica Rose, and Chair of the Unionization Drive Rafael Finn gave a presentation at PGSS Council. There was a brief overview of AGSEM’s structure and Delegates’ Council, an update on TA Bargaining, and the official launch of our drive to unionize graders, note-takers, course assistants, and all other non-unionized academic workers.

Download our slides here.

Learn more about our Unionization Drive here.