CUPEU rejects Concordia’s offer, officially goes on strike

“We feel we have no choice but to make our dissatisfaction known”

NewsGeneviève Sylvestre — Published September 5, 2024 3 minutes

Union members announced the strike on Tuesday evening following the results of a special general assembly. 

Hundreds of CUPEU members were dispersed across both Concordia campuses, waving flags, ringing bells, blowing whistles and wearing “‘Concordia Professionals on Strike’” buttons 

The union was originally set to begin their strike on Sept. 3, but it was suspended after the union received a global offer from the university. At the general assembly, CUPEU members voted 59.1 per cent against the university’s offer and in favour of going on strike. 

According to the CUPEU website, the union will continue picketing until Sept. 9 and will hold an information session on Sept. 10 to “share essential information on negotiation and mobilization.” 

“We are taking consecutive days of strike, we do not know when it’s going to end,” CUPEU vice president of negotiation Sigmund Lam said. “It will be, in part, depending on what the membership decides and the university offers.”

CUPEU represents more than 600 university staff members including academic advisors, guidance counsellors, nurses, IT specialists, accountants and more. 

CUPEU president Shoshana Kalfon told The Link on Aug. 27 that the union is striking to oppose the university’s policy on hybrid work for academic staff. The policy only allows academic staff members one day of remote work per week, with the rest being mandatory on-campus work days.

“[The hybrid work plan] for the academic side of the university is kind of like a ‘one-size-fits-all’ whereas on the service side, there’s more flexibility,” Kalfon said. “We’re really looking to allow those who work on the academic side to have more flexibility.” 

Lam says that the union has been in negotiations with Concordia for close to a year. He says that the university is “trying to play hardball” and is refusing to budge on the union’s demands of two days of hybrid work per week for academic staff. 

“If we want to get any movement at the negotiation table, we feel we have no choice but to make our dissatisfaction known,” Lam said.

Concordia sent an email to the student body regarding the strike on Sept. 3, in which the university claimed that students “may encounter a temporary slowdown or reduction of services from some units operating with reduced personnel.” 

Reduced services include the International Students Office, the Student Success Centre, the Student Advocacy Office, the SGW Campus health clinic and the Loyola Campus health clinic.

The SGW Campus health clinic requires students to rebook previous appointments with nurses or health promotion specialists, while the Loyola Campus health clinic is closed.

“We have been negotiating with CUPEU since last summer and continue to negotiate in good faith,” Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci said on Aug. 29. “We remain hopeful that there will be an agreement that addresses the needs of both the union members and the university.”

“This is our first strike. We really have no experience organizing [a strike], so I am very proud of how people have gotten together and organized,” Lam said. “We have a strong union.”