Sep 14

IWC SUPPORTS THE STRIKE OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY NON-ACADEMIC CERTIFIED ASSOCIATION

From the picket line

 

September 13th. 2011

To the membership of MUNACA,

On behalf of the Immigrant Workers Centre (the IWC), we are writing to extend our support and solidarity to you throughout this strike period and in your ongoing negotiations with McGill. As an organization which is committed to defending the rights of all people in their workplaces, both unionized and non-unionized, we would like to emphasize and acknowledge the inspiring courage and strength that it takes, and that you have all demonstrated, out there on the picket line. We at the IWC recognize the challenges and potential injuries organized workers can face while on strike. Not only does your strike demonstrate the need for unions, and the rights of workers to be defended, but also impacts all workers who are not unionized to ensure their rights and dignity.

McGill currently stands alone as the only University in Montreal to be making cuts to its employees benefits, pensions, retirement plans and wages. While we are critical of the provincial government’s continued disinvestment from educational institutions, we do not accept that McGill’s non-academic employees should bear the brunt of the University’s financial difficulty. We call on McGill to respect and stand accountable to the workers from whom they already ask so much. The IWC is firmly behind MUNACA’s call for a proper wage scale, for more fair terms and conditions of employment – for McGill to, at the very least, grant MUNACA members parity with all of the other Montreal Universities in these regards. We are aware that many of the unionized, provincial employees working at McGill hold similar, if not identical, positions to members of MUNACA. Yet, whereas provincial employees have a proper wage scale — one, which reflects, increased costs of living — MUNACA members don’t. Such explicit divisions and inequalities between workers are not only damaging to an individual’s sense of value and worth, but more often than not, beget negative effects on inter-personal working relationships and the overall health of a community and working environment.

We urge the McGill administration to negotiate in good faith and to meet MUNACA’s fundamental demands. We also encourage all organizations – student, social justice and otherwise — to stand in support with McGill’s non-academic employees until a fair and equitable resolution has been achieved.

In Solidarity,

The Immigrant Workers Center

Related Posts

Sixteen Years of Silent Service: Inside the Migrant Workers Center

By Kader Belaouni After sixteen years of dedicated service and a week of reflection away from work, I feel compelled to break my silence about the Migrant Workers Center—a place that has shaped not only my understanding of justice but also my commitment to defending those who have no voice. As a blind person, my perception of this center has been formed not by what I see, but by what... Read more →

Scapegoating Migrants Won’t Solve a Systemic Crisis

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s call for a “very hard cap” on immigration is both misleading and harmful. Blaming newcomers for housing shortages and youth unemployment serves to distract from the real culprits: decades of neoliberal economic policy and an unregulated housing market dominated by speculative interests. The crisis is not about too many people—it’s about a system built to serve profits, not people. Migrant workers are not causing the housing... Read more →

Amnesty International Canada Urges Immediate Action to Uphold the Rights of People Seeking Safety

Seeking asylum is not a crime—it is a fundamental, internationally recognized human right. Yet, as Canada reviews its border and immigration frameworks, Amnesty International Canada is sounding the alarm: proposed changes under Bill?C?2 and entrenched policies like the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) risk stripping away the protections afforded to those fleeing persecution Introduced in June?2025 and misleadingly titled the “Strong Borders Act,” Bill?C?2 includes provisions that could: Set a... Read more →

Review of media coverage: Amazon laid-off workers’ demonstration on Prime Day

Several media outlets covered the demonstration held in Montreal on July 8, 2025, by the Amazon Workers Committee at the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC–CTI) and community allies. Reports from CityNews, La Presse, Le Devoir, and CBC highlighted the protesters’ demands for better protections, accountability, and concrete action from governments. On Amazon Prime Day, the Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC–CTI) held a press conference together with former Amazon workers, the Amazon Workers... Read more →