The Syndicat des étudiant-e-s employé-e-s de l’UQAM (SÉTUE) and the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Quebec Region (PSAC-Quebec) are extremely pleased to announce that members ratified a groundbreaking tentative agreement on October 16. They had been without a contract since December 31, 2024.
“We secured working conditions that align with our expectations,” said Leïla, SÉTUE’s collective agreement officer and a member of its bargaining team. “This historic agreement introduces a number of gains and will help bargaining units like ours make similar advances on wages, including higher pay relative to the minimum wage and pay recognition for members who already hold a degree. But no progress was made on some of our non-monetary demands, so the fight continues!”
After nine months of bargaining, a tentative agreement was reached on the evening of October 13. Its highlights include:
- A collective agreement of four years and five months expiring on May 31, 2029 including five annual wage increases
- Full retroactivity for all employees working since April 1, 2025
- Hourly wage increases of $0.90 to $1 depending on the year, for an average annual increase of 4.64%
- 1% increase in holiday allowance and compensation for the lack of a group insurance plan
- 5% bonus for members working as teaching or research assistants who already hold a degree at their current level of study
- Guaranteed 15% gap between the minimum wage and the undergraduate straight-time rate starting in 2030
- Continuous service status for up to one month between contracts
- Several non-monetary gains regarding job postings, intellectual property, and discrimination and harassment protections
“This agreement is definitely something to celebrate,” said Sébastien Paquette, Executive Vice-President for PSAC-Quebec. “Collective bargaining is first and foremost about making significant improvements to the working and living conditions of members. We are thrilled to have achieved that goal.”
SÉTUE represents 5,000 teaching, research and technical assistants at UQAM annually.
PSAC-Quebec represents about 45,000 members, primarily in the federal public sector and at Quebec universities.