PSAC77000

Blog

  • Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024 – Join us!

    Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024 – Join us!

    Dear Postdoctoral Union members,

    Our Annual General Meeting will take place on December 12th, at 12:00 p.m., in Canal Building, Room 3101. During the meeting, you will learn more about the union and the benefits you are entitled to as a union member. The union’s new executives and committee members will also be elected. Food and beverages will be served! Join us!

  • Bargaining Survey

    Bargaining Survey

    blank

    Have your voice heard by taking part in our upcoming bargaining survey!We need all of our member’s participation to guide our approach and determine the key issues to address at the bargaining table, ensuring we secure the fair contract we deserve.

    Please take a few minutes to fill out the bargaining survey:

    CUPA Carleton University Postdocs Bargaining Survey 2024.

    Your input is crucial in shaping the future of all postdocs at Carleton.

  • Change of Leadership

    Change of Leadership

    Members of the postdoc union would like to thank the outgoing members, Alberto Tonero, the president, and Maha Abdallah, the vice-president, for their commitment and work towards betterment of the postdoc union. We thank them for running the union successfully which benefited our fellow postdocs.
    We would like to take this opportunity to formally welcome Maryia Halubok, our new union president. Formal elections will take place in the next Annual General Meeting. Wishing the new team all the best in continuing the good work on improving the conditions for postdocs here, at Carleton University.

  • Collective Agreement Negotiations – Update #2

    Collective Agreement Negotiations – Update #2

    Our postdoctoral union PSAC Local 77000 and Carleton University reached a tentative collective agreement on June 29, 2022. The previous agreement for PSAC Local 77000 expired on April 30, 2022. The union and the university have been engaged in negotiations for the past month regarding modifications to the contract.

    The tentative agreement keeps postdoc salaries a subject to the 1% annual cap in accordance with Bill 124, Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act.

    Representatives of both sides agreed on several modifications to the contract. These modifications include broadening the scope of the professional development fund that now can be used to purchase equipment and materials required for the performance of the postdoc’s duties; introduction of the annual postdoctoral fellow research award; extension of access to email account after appointment expiration, and changes to the health care plan, among others.

    The next step would be a ratification vote by members of the union and the university’s Board of Governors. The union members will need to vote on the tentative contract in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned for more details soon!

    In solidarity,

    Bargaining team members:
    Maha Abdallah,
    Michel Lopez Barrios,
    Maryia Halubok

  • Collective Agreement Negotiations – Update #1

    Collective Agreement Negotiations – Update #1
    In a meeting held on February 7 2022, a bargaining committee was elected by the Postdoctoral Union assembly. Maryia Halubok, Michel Lopez Barrios and MahaAbdallah were chosen to represent the Union in future negotiations with Carleton University (CU) towards the signing of a new collective agreement.
    The Postdoctoral Fellow Bargaining Committee sent out a survey on April 12 in order to obtain postdocs’ inputs to assess and prioritize the demands that would constitute the core of future negotiations. Two reminders regarding the said survey were sent on April 21 and April 26.
    As of June 2,four meetings (March 15, May 16, May 24, June 2)have taken place with the PSAC team that is helping the Union during the negotiation process. The initial proposition from CU was an expeditedround ofnegotiations, which basicallytranslates to a copy-paste of the previous collective agreement between the Union and CU. According to Ontario law, annual public sector wage increases are capped at 1%, which, given the consumer price index in the last year, implies a pay cut of around 4% in real terms.
    A detailed list of demands and modifications to the postdoc contract is being drafted to be sent to CU in the following days. Besides the wages, the bargaining committee centers its demands around the following points: expanding the use of professional development fund (PDF), providing access to the services of CU immigration advisers at no cost to postdocs, ensuring continued access to the university email account after the end of contract, and others.
    Meetings with a CU representative are scheduled on June 13 and 15. Previously, a meeting with CU was scheduled on May 24. Following PSAC negotiator‘s recommendation, it was postponed by thebargainingcommittee. The purpose of this action was to wait fortheOntarioprovincialelection results, hoping that eventually, the cap on public wages increases could be modified or overturnedby the future government.
    As mentioned above, the university proposed to go for a shorter round of negotiations, and the bargaining team agreed to attempt this approach. However, if the bargainingcommittee members do not find it beneficial to go for an expedited round of negotiations in terms of benefits to the postdocs, the bargainingcommittee will opt in for long negotiations. In this case, the negotiation process is likely to continue until fall. Further updates will be posted as the negotiation evolves.

  • PSAC National Triennial Convention 2022 – Elections Results

    PSAC National Triennial Convention 2022 – Elections Results

    Today at the PSAC National Triennial Convention 2022, our REVP Alex Silas was elected as Alternate National Executive Vice President (ANEVP)…congratulations Alex and best of luck in your new position!!

    Chris Aylward was confirmed as National President and Sharon De Sousa was elected as NEVP. Congrats to all the (new) National Executives!

    From our point of view, they promised to support and give voice to DCLs and the Academic Sector and we are  looking forward to working with them in order to make the Union better and stronger!

    Alberto Tonero (CUPU President)

    blank

  • Mitacs Elevated Call

    Mitacs Elevated Call

    Dear Carleton University Postdocs,

    The Mitacs Elevate call for proposals has been launched. Our Elevate initiative, available to postdocs in all disciplines, can provide critical career and skills training to postdoctoral fellows through real-world collaborations.

    Postdoctoral fellows can apply for two years of funding valued at $80,000/year.

    We are accepting applications for projects addressing at least one of the following key priority sectors: agriculture and food, artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, clean technology, entertainment and media, quantum science, or social innovation.

    We are also offering enhanced funding ratios through our Indigenous Pathways program.

    Key dates:

    Call Launch is May 4, 2022
    COI and organization eligibility check with Mitacs (if applicable) until June 10, 2022
    Internal Carleton U deadline is July 4, 2022
    Application submission deadline to Mitacs is July 6, 2022

    Best regards,

    Fernanda

    Fernanda Mendonça, PhD
    Business Development Specialist
    Mitacs | Carleton University

  • Globalink Research Award Thematic Call Mitacs

    Globalink Research Award Thematic Call Mitacs

    You or someone you know might be interested in this call by Mitacs.

  • Welcome Vinu, our new H&S representative!

    Welcome Vinu, our new H&S representative!

    Extending a warm welcome to our new representative in the Joint Health and Safety Committee, and fellow Postdoc, Vinu Subashini Rajus! Vinu is replacing our fellow James (thanks James for your previous work!) in this committee. In case of any issue with Health and Safety in your workplace,
    feel free to contact us at contact.psac77000@gmail.com .

  • Job postings at Carleton: Ambassador Program

    Job postings at Carleton: Ambassador Program

    The job postings for the Ambassador Program are now posted in Carleton Central’s Career Services.
    https://mycareer.carleton.ca/myAccount/career/postings.htm
    Position numbers are 113147 and 113148.

    Carleton is looking for 150-200 people to help enforcing H&S protocols.

    In case of any trouble registering/finding the job, please contact Linda Cruz  at linda.cruz@carleton.ca