Contract Instructors at Carleton University vote 92.5% in favour of strike action, if necessary

OTTAWA, ON - Contract Instructors (CIs) at Carleton University, represented by Unit 2, Local 4600 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 4600-2), have voted overwhelmingly this week to authorize job action if necessary to secure a fair deal at the bargaining table.

The Union has been negotiating with Carleton since last summer, but several major issues remain unresolved. The union has also requested the assistance of a Ministry of Labour conciliation officer to help move discussions forward.

Contract Instructors at Carleton are struggling with limited job security, few benefits, an outdated and unscientific performance evaluation system that exposes workers to harassment and discrimination, no pension or retirement plan, and wages significantly lower than people performing exactly same work just down the street at the University of Ottawa.

Contract Instructors teach about 35 per cent of all courses at Carleton, but have to reapply for their own jobs several times a year. Of the 800 CIs currently working at Carleton, the vast majority are earning less than $22,000 a year.

“We teach about 35 per cent of courses at Carleton. This university couldn’t function without us. But our members can’t deliver the quality education students deserve without fair working conditions,” says CUPE 4600 President Meg Lonergan, a contract instructor in the Department of Legal Studies at Carleton.

The CUPE 4600 Unit 2 bargaining team is hopeful this strong strike vote mandate will encourage management to reach a fair deal at the negotiating table, without the need for job action.

For more information, please contact:

Meg Lonergan, CUPE 4600 President, 613-863-4833, [email protected]
Abram Lutes, CUPE 4600 spokesperson, 613-227-1389, [email protected]
Kevin Wilson, CUPE Communications, 416-821-6641

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