Queen’s University and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have concluded a first, three-year deal for graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Teaching Fellows (TFs).

A tentative agreement, reached earlier this month, has now been approved both by the University’s Board of Trustees and the local PSAC membership.

“We respect and value the important contributions of our Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows,” said Queen’s Principal Daniel Woolf. “This first collective agreement balances the interests of the TAs and TFs while respecting the fiscal realities of the University. The TAs and TFs play a valuable role in the critical teaching mission of the University. I think it speaks well of our shared commitment to excellence that we were able to recognize those contributions while still being mindful of the significant financial challenges we face.”

PSAC represents approximately 1,500 graduate TAs and TFs. Negotiations began on November 15 of last year, with the two sides meeting on 19 dates.

The agreement includes:

• Increases to the base wage rate in each of the three years for the TAs of 1.25%, 1.25%, and 1.5%, with wage rate increases to take effect on September 1, 2011;
• The first year of the TFs’ settlement provides for an adjustment to the base stipend rate to address a previously unresolved compensation issue and then increases to the base stipend rate in years two and three of 1.25% and 1.5% with stipend rate increases to take effect on September 1, 2011;
• Provisions for dealing with appointments to positions, and related to that, hours of work and the use of TA Forms and TF Forms.

The new agreement will expire on April 30, 2013.

For more details, the agreement will be posted in the coming days to the HR website.

As well, the Faculty Relations Office and School of Graduate Studies are planning to conduct a series of workshops in June to orient those responsible for administering TA and TF employment relationships to the new collective agreement.

Details about these sessions will be made available through faculty and departmental offices.

Related stories:

Tentative deal for TAs and TFs           2011-05-13

Update on Labour Relations               2011-04-20

Labour Relations Update                    2011-01-13

PSAC will represent TAs and TFs        2010-03-24