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Source: Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN)

McGill must not close its Conservatory of Music

Montreal, Tuesday, June 21, 2022 — The McGill Course Lecturers and Instructors Union was dismayed to learn of the planned closure of the University’s Conservatory of Music at the end of this summer. “The administration must change course and reconsider its decision,” says union president Raad Jassim. “The Conservatory of Music has nurtured the passion of young musicians for generations. It must be protected. It’s as if McGill were cutting off the sources of inspiration to budding artists who might well go on to pursue graduate studies in music.”

The administration’s arguments for killing this 118-year-old institution appear flimsy. The union disputes that there is a lack of space at the university. It also questions the argument that there has been a decline in enrolment, given that no effort has been made since the end of the pandemic to promote enrolment and bring the student numbers back to previous levels.

Education is not a commodity

This is a textbook example of the commodification of education. “The pursuit of profit at all costs is not compatible with the university’s mission and unacceptable in a democratic society,” says Christine Gauthier, vice-president responsible for universities at the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN). “All of society will lose out if the McGill Conservatory of Music closes.” 

A hundred members of the McGill Course Lecturers and Instructors Union will be directly impacted by the closure of the Conservatory of Music. The union has called an emergency general meeting tonight [June 21] to assess possible actions in order to reverse the decision.

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About
The McGill Course Lecturers and Instructors Union has approximately 1,600 members.

The Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec-CSN, founded in 1969, represents 80% of Québec university lecturers (11,000 members) and nearly 85% of CEGEP professors. It is the most representative union organization in higher education in Quebec, with a total of some 35,000 members at 46 CEGEPS, 43 private institutions and 12 universities. The FNEEQ is one of the eight federations affiliated with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN).

Information:
Martin Robert
Communications Advisor

FNEEQ–CSN
Martin.robert@csn.qc.ca
514-377-6985

Unanimous approval of members’ demands for the Third Collective Agreement.

Special General Assembly
Friday, April 8, 2022 from 2:30 pm-5:30 pm
at McGill Senate Room, Leacock 232

On the Agenda:

• The bargaining committee will present the findings of the consultative process and the demands draft for ratification
• Ratification of demands draft for the third collective agreement

Food and beverages will be served
Kindly RSVP above

We look forward to seeing you there.

– MCLIU Bargaining and Executive Committees

The General Assembly was attended by members from almost every faculty and they elected their bargaining committee in preparation for our third collective agreement negotiations.

The members also welcomed the appointment of the bargaining committee chair and several expressed interest in doing their part as possible participants on bargaining advisory committees for different departments and faculties that will address specific hiring units’ specific needs.

It is the Union’s pleasure to welcome to the bargaining committee the following members:

Nick Papatheodorakos, chair of the bargaining committee
Raad Jassim, ex-officio member of the bargaining committee
Natasha Roy, member-at-large of the bargaining committee
Garrfield du Couturier-Nichol, member-at-large of the bargaining committee
Ahmad Munir, member-at-large of the bargaining committee

We thank all these members for their commitment and dedication to the Union. We would also like to thank all the members who participated in the General Assembly. Together, we will all work hard to continue fighting and improving our work conditions here at McGill.

Happy New Year
Welcome to the Winter 2022 session

MCLIU wishes you a great start to this Winter 2022 session. Given the current health situation, please monitor regularly both government announcements and McGill policies at the following link:

https://www.mcgill.ca/coronavirus/#announcements

Verification of Priority Points Lists

(Article 14.07 and 14.11 of the Collective Agreement)

Members have 15 days to verify

Hiring units have been updating and publishing priority points lists on their respective websites by incorporating Fall 2021 points. To facilitate members, MCLIU has been sending out to all members their respective Priority Points list as they are published. It is the member’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of the list that includes: Priority Points, TQR recognition, starting date at McGill and other pertinent information. Note that you have 15 days to verify the accuracy of your information and directly contact your department if there are mistakes or omissions.

To access priority points lists of different hiring units, you may go to this link
https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/employee-relations/assocs-unions
Click “+ MCLIU-Course Lecturers and Instructors”
then Click “+ Current list of priority points”. Here you can see links for hiring units priority point lists.

Online vs In-Person Teaching Mode:

Please verify with both your department and Teaching and Learning Services for the mode of delivery and your rights and obligations.

To know your rights and obligations please consult the union collective agreement. For any questions or concerns please contact us at mail@mcliu.ca

Save the Date
General Assembly (online)

Friday, February 11, 2022
from 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm via Zoom

On the Agenda:

• Bargaining Update, End of Second Collective Agreement on August 31, 2022
• Prep for a third collective agreement
• Elections of Bargaining Committee
• Budget for 2022-2023

If you have any items that you would like to be discussed at this Assembly, please email president@mcliu.ca

A Zoom link will be sent 48 hours before the meeting to those who RSVP.

RSVP for the GA

If you still need COVID-19 vaccinations or to register your doses received outside of Quebec to be eligible for the vaccine passport, you will be able to do so during one of our upcoming on-campus clinic dates.

These clinics are open to faculty, staff, and students:

Downtown Campus:
Wednesday, October 27
Service Point, McGill Downtown Campus
Open from 10:00-17:00

You can come to the clinic without an appointment. Vaccine registrations will be by walk-in only.

Clinicians will be offering services in English, French, or Mandarin. Therapy dogs will also be on hand to help with any vaccination anxiety you may experience.

Macdonald Campus:
Wednesday, October 27
Stewart Athletic Complex, Macdonald Campus
Open from 09:00-16:30

Clinicians will be offering services in English and French. Therapy dogs will also be on hand to help with any vaccination anxiety you may experience. All services at this clinic will be walk-in only.

Application form

for the January 1-June 30 cycle

Application deadline to submit to Chair for approval (signature) is November 30.
Signed form must be submitted to HR by December 10.

Application form

for the July 1-December 31 cycle

Application deadline to submit to Chair for approval (signature) is March 31.
Signed form must be submitted to HR by April 15.

Clicking on APPLICATION FORM will download a Word file directly to your computer.

MCLIU successfully negotiated as part of our second Collective Agreement a Professional Development Fund (PDF) exclusively for Course Lecturers and Instructors. The Union encourages all members to apply for PDF and take advantage of the available funds. Below you will find instructions on who qualifies to apply for PDF, what qualifies for PDF, how much may be reimbursed, when to apply, how to apply and the reimbursement process.

Please read the instructions below and make sure to apply by the applicable deadline for activities during the period covered.

Who Qualifies

Only Course Lecturers and Instructors whose names appear in the priority points list of a hiring unit at the time of application are eligible to submit a PDF request.

What Qualifies for PDF

Eligible expenses include, but are not strictly limited to, participation fees for professional or academic conferences or other organized events, registration or participation fees for courses or other opportunities for further training and skills development. Travel costs may be eligible where the activity does not take place in Montreal. The purchase of moveable goods is not normally eligible but may be allowed where it is a necessary expense associated with an approved activity (e.g., required books or other materials for a course).

Reimbursement Amounts

The amount reimbursed per claim will depend on the total amount of eligible claims submitted during each application year and the amount of available funds. The amount reimbursed will be prorated based on the percentage of available funds (or reimbursement ratio).

The amount reimbursed may never exceed the amount claimed. An applicant can only receive funding once per academic year. The maximum amount that may be reimbursed is $3000.

Application Deadlines

Winter to Summer 1 Activities

This application cycle covers activities taking place between January 1 and June 30. Applications should be submitted to the hiring unit using the application form linked above, no later than November 30.

The Hiring Unit will review your application and you will be informed no later than December 20 if it is approved.

Summer 2 to Fall Activities

This application cycle covers activities between July 1 and December 31. Applications should be submitted to the hiring unit using the application form linked above, no later than March 31.

The Hiring Unit will review your application and you will be informed no later than May 31 if it is approved.

Reimbursement Process

The disbursement of PDF funds will be submitted via Minerva (instructions for this will be circulated soon). The reimbursement request must include only those expenses that were approved through the application process.

Reimbursement requests must be submitted no later than 30 days following the conclusion of the activity for which PDF support is provided. Late submissions may be denied.