Grad student workers are back to work just in time to mark final papers and exams after the Public Service Alliance Canada (PSAC) 901, the union representing 2,000 academic workers, and Queen’s University ratified a new Collective Agreement.
Following the end of the Winter exam period, the University announced on April 24 that the two parties have caused disruption to classes and exams for thousands of students on campus. The renewed agreement is now in effect and will last until April 30, 2027.
READ MORE: 2,000 graduate student workers walk off the job
While Queen’s has yet to publicly release the full of the agreement, a Ratification Kit sent to PSAC 901 on April 16 and obtained by The Journal outlines key details of the three-year contract.
Under the new contract, Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, and Teaching Fellows will see phased wage increases: a three per cent raise retroactive to the start of the year, a 2.25 per cent increase plus a 12.86 per cent market adjustment effective May 1, 2025, and a further 2.25 per cent increase effective May 1, 2026. Overall, wages will rise by 21.53 per cent over the three-year term.
The agreement also includes a $250 lump sum payment for eligible graduate workers, $110,000 in new childcare funding for the union, and improvements to sick leave, gender-affirming care leave, and bereavement leave policies.
The return-to-work protocol protects from discipline or reprisals related to strike activity, ensures the reinstatement of any employees terminated during the strike, and allows graduate workers to make up any lost hours under an extended contract if they choose.
Final grades are still due by May 7 and will appear on students’ official transcripts starting May 9.
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