Mark Publicover, Queen's Department of Geography

I have been an advocate for staff at Queen’s for over 20 years, with QUSA, with CUPE Local 254 and now again with QUSA. I am convinced more that ever that Queen’s staff need to come together to support each other. Queen’s is experiencing significant financial pressure and change from within. With other University employees protected by legally binding collective agreements, I feel that non-unionized staff are vulnerable. We need an employee driven organization that will respect and preserve the values and traditions of this institution and this learning and working environment, but respond to our needs and priorities as valued employees. We need a Queen’s staff union built by Queen’s staff to respond to and to support Queen’s staff needs. But we cannot do it without the proper tools and we cannot do it alone. With the Steelworkers we can achieve legal bargaining status for staff and a more level playing field when negotiating salaries, benefits and working conditions as well as job security, workplace adjustment and dispute resolution mechanism, all in the context of our status in the Queen’s Community. Please consider joining with us and building for a more confident future.