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Dear colleagues,

April 28 is Canada’s National Day of Mourning. It is the day when we stop to remember workers who have been killed, injured, or made ill as a result of their jobs. Each year, tens of thousands of Canadians are injured and hundreds die from workplace causes.  It’s estimated some 274,000 workers had claims approved in 2023 for work-related injury or illnesses, and the real number is almost certainly higher than that. These are not just statistics to me because they include several of our own MUNACA members. 

To anyone in our membership who has lost someone because of their work, or who is living with an injury or illness as a result of working at McGill: I am so sorry. Please know that your colleagues at MUNACA are thinking of you.

On Tuesday, April 28, at 11:00 a.m., I am asking each of us to take a moment of silence together. At your desk or home office, on a walk – wherever you are. Let it be a moment of honest reflection, and a reminder of why the work we do around workplace health and safety matters. 

In solidarity,

Dino Dutz 
President, MUNACA

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Dear MUNACA Members,

Today, on National Administrative Professionals Day, I want to pause and say something that is too often left unsaid: thank you.

McGill University runs on the expertise, dedication, and care of its administrative professionals. From the first point of contact a student experiences, to the behind-the-scenes coordination that keeps our faculties, research programs, libraries, clinics, and services moving — our members are the backbone of this institution. The work you do is rarely in the spotlight, but it is felt everywhere.

To every MUNACA member who serves as an administrative professional: your work is seen, your contribution matters, and your role in McGill’s success is fundamental. 

Today, take a moment for yourself. Enjoy the recognition. And know that MUNACA stands with you today and every day in advocating for the respect, fair treatment, and working conditions you deserve.

With gratitude and in solidarity,

Your MUNACA Team

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Dear Members,

A strike by STM transit workers is expected to significantly affect commuting for the next few weeks. 

McGill has indicated it will make reasonable accommodations for those impacted. 

If you are having trouble getting to/from work and working out a reasonable alternative with your supervisor, please contact us immediately at reception@munaca.com so we can assist.

We stand in solidarity with all workers striking for better conditions.

For more information about the STM strike, visit:
 https://www.stm.info/en/info/service-updates/info-strike

In solidarity,

Your MUNACA Team

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What the University can’t do directly via legal routes, they are attempting to do indirectly under the pretext of protecting your privacy (Law 25). Members are now asked to consent to disclosing their private medical information by submitting it through this “new process.”

We are currently in arbitration and negotiation for this very question. The University believes that they can demand this information and decide whether or not it is sufficient to allow you to access Short Term Disability benefits. By this, the University is not only putting into question the competency of your medical professional, but also your right to privacy.

We are directing all members NOT to use this process. We are looking into what legal recourse is available to us and what our next steps are.

If you are going on STD, contact the MUNACA office at reception@munaca.com and we can guide you.

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Hello,

I hope this message finds you all well, and that you had some time over the summer to relax and recharge. With the start of this new academic year at McGill, negotiations are at the forefront of all our minds.

Your Negotiations Team has been busy over the summer! This exceptional group representing you at the negotiations table is motivated, energetic, and willing to think outside the box. We participated in a “Nego Boot Camp” facilitated by our PSAC chief negotiator, which included addressing some of the challenges we face with an Employer which seems more set on takingyour rights away than reaching a fair deal.

We are working together to present an update on the current status of our negotiations, as well as discuss priorities going forward. A notice will be sent out soon with details.

While we are in negotiations, our Employer is aggressively restructuring as if we don’t exist. We, too, have decided to revamp and restructure ourselves so that we may be more efficient and effective in every approach we take. You voted for change; change is coming! There will be a separate meeting for the membership to unveil our new way of doing things.

Dino Dutz
President, MUNACA

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We understand that some of you have been asked by the employer to complete a survey accounting for your use of time and tasks accomplished during the day.If you’ve received this request, please contact us right away at reception@munaca.com.

The Union deems this an abuse of management rights as you are being asked to participate in an exercise being used potentially to:

  • Abolish positions
  • Increase individual workloads
  • Decrease salaries
  • Circumvent Union protections 

If you are being told to sign any documents, indicate next to your signature “I confirm receipt but do not agree with the content”. 

If you have already signed or you are obligated to sign electronically, please send an email with the subject heading: Job description per (the date you submitted the document) to your immediate supervisor, local HR, and reception@munaca.com. In the body state “I confirm receipt of the document I was told to sign. I do not agree with the content”. Sign with your name and McGill ID number. 

We are currently evaluating the situation to determine the best course of action. The more we know, the better we can protect our rights and support one another.

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Voter turnout: 703

President
Dino Dutz: 520
James Newman: 160
Abstain: 23

Vice-President (Internal Affairs)
Augusto Alfonso Cuellar Diaz:471
Sherrie Child:202
Abstain:30

Vice-President (M Affairs)
Helen Ogundeji:483
David Roseman:184
Abstain:36

Vice-President (Finance)
Adriana Sgambetterra:528
Victor Chisholm:157
Abstain:18

Chair of the Finance Committee
Souad Hammami:453 
Paulette Bessette:197 
Abstain: 53

Thank you for your participation

Respectfully,
Rebecca Nicholson
Chief Returning Officer

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At the May 16 Town Hall, McGill’s administration delivered a confusing and contradictory message: they acknowledged that layoffs and budget cuts are not sustainable, yet insisted they are inevitable. This narrative is being pushed without transparency or genuine accountability — and it’s frontline staff and students who will pay the price. At the same time, McGill is pushing to raise another $1 billion to reach its $3 billion fundraising goal — a move that stands in stark contrast to the austerity measures being proposed.  

What the Administration Isn’t Telling You
The total salary mass for Senior Administration and management is $71 million higher than it would be if it had increased at the same rate as salaries for all other job classes. No mention of salary freezes or reductions for senior administrative staff. No commitment to full financial transparency, no clear answers on where and how money is being spent.

Let’s call on McGill to
✅ Implement a moratorium on layoffs and job abolitions
✅ End the hiring freeze that harms departments and services
✅ Cancel the costly NousGroup consulting contract
✅ Freeze and reduce executive compensation
✅ Reverse the opening of Horizon McGill, a high-cost project pushed forward amidst cutbacks

This Is a Choice — Not a Necessity
Without access to full financial records, how can students, staff, and faculty know whether cuts are truly necessary? Right now, you are being asked to accept austerity measures without evidence. McGill is using fear and urgency to justify harmful policies without democratic input or transparency.
 
Let Us Stand for Fairness, Not Fear. The McGill community deserves a voice in decisions that affect livelihoods, academic quality, and student services.  

SIGN OUR PETITION to demand a fair, transparent, and people-first approach!

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UNION COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2025

Following the call for nominations for the Union Council Elections: 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (6) 
• For the position of President, two (2) nominations were received. Therefore, an electronic ballot will be held for this position. The candidates are Dino Dutz and James Newman. The pensketches submitted by the candidates can be viewed by clicking on their name.
 • For the position of Vice-President (Internal Affairs), two (2) nominations were received. Therefore, an electronic ballot will be held for this position. The candidates are Sherrie Child and Augusto Alfonso Cuellar Diaz. The pensketches submitted by the candidates can be viewed by clicking on their name. • For the position of Vice-President (M Affairs), two (2) nominations were received. Therefore, an electronic ballot will be held for this position. The candidates are Helen Ogundeji and David Roseman. The pensketches submitted by the candidates can be viewed by clicking on their name. 
• For the position of Vice-President (Communications & Mobilization), one (1) nomination was received; the position is acclaimed by Debra Yee. 
• For the position of Vice-President (Finance), two (2) nominations were received. Therefore, an electronic ballot will be held for this position. The candidates are Victor Chisholm and Adriana Sgambetterra. The pensketches submitted by the candidates can be viewed by clicking on their name. 
• For the position of Vice-President (Labour Relations), one (1) nomination was received; the position is acclaimed by Robin Stanford. 

COMMITTEE CHAIRS (5) 
• For the position of Chair of the Grievance Committee, no nominations were received.
 • For the position of Chair of the Health and Safety Committee, no nominations were received.
 • For the position of Chair of the Finance Committee, two (2) nominations were received. Therefore, an electronic ballot will be held for this position. The candidates are Paulette Bessette and Souad Hammami. The pensketches submitted by the candidates can be viewed by clicking on their name.
 • For the position of Chair of the Solidarity Committee, one (1) nomination was received; the position is acclaimed by Bishara Assaly.
 • For the position of Chair of the Communications Committee, one (1) nomination was received; the position is acclaimed by Sarah Butler. 

CHIEF STEWARD/DISTRICT HEAD – Downtown Campus (13) 
• For the position of Chief Steward – Downtown Campus, six (6) nominations were received; the positions are acclaimed by Anne Bedard, Cait Bishop, Isabelle Harvey, Kristi Kouchakji, Diana Lee, and Melissa Martella. 

CHIEF STEWARD/DISTRICT HEAD – Glen Campus and Solin Hall (2)
 • For the position of Chief Steward – Glen Campus and Solin Hall, one (1) nomination was received; the position is acclaimed by Alison Hayter. 

CHIEF STEWARD/DISTRICT HEAD – Macdonald Campus and the Gault Estate at Mont St Hilaire (4) • For the position of Chief Steward – Macdonald Campus and the Gault Estate at Mont St Hilaire, no nominations were received. 

The elections will open on Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 9:00AM and will close on Wednesday June 4, 2025 at 12:00PM (noon). Instructions for the electronic ballot will be sent to all eligible voters. 

Please note that only members in good standing of MUNACA-PSAC Local 17602 (i.e. must have signed their membership cards) can vote in MUNACA-PSAC Local 17602 elections. If you wish to verify your membership, please call the MUNACA office at 514-371-2222. Rebecca Nicholson, Chief Returning Officer

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Dear President Saini, 

First, I must thank you for the week I had following Easter. It was the worst week I have had  since  becoming a union activist in 1976. I spent most of that week listening to bullshit excuses by HR and supervisors reading from a script. ‘As you know, McGill is facing some financial difficulties so we are going to have to let you go’. All the while you and far too many upper management sit in your offices and pursue the bottom lines of financial ledgers. You collect exorbitant salaries and keep your cushy jobs. 

HAVE YOU NO SHAME!!??  
Cut upper management positions and salaries.

The decisions you make on behalf of McGill lacks insight on the impact it has on your employees, MUNACA membership, and their families. I would like to put a human face on those whose lives you have turned upside down and forced into a financial crisis. I, of course, will not identify these victims of your cold hearted decisions as you must understand for fear that you may consider retribution.

One member whose job was abolished was hit so hard by the news that he said it was worse than when he was diagnosed with cancer a few years back.

Another victim of your callous decisions was a young woman who had a job but left it to come to McGill believing the myths perpetrated by you and your cronies that McGill was and #1 institution; employees know it is bought and paid for nonsense. In just a couple of months, she would have obtained employment security but to meet your 5% cuts, she is now out of a job. She was recently engaged and has been planning her wedding which, thanks to you, has now been put on hold. Stop lying. Tell the world that McGill is no longer an institute of higher learning and academic research, it is a corporate trade school with an eye on the bottom line with the intent on making it a profitable enterprise.

Next time you take a gander at the bottom line, please consider the profoundly negative impact this has on the lives of employees you are messing with!! They are not just a bottom line. 

MUNACA is putting you and your cadre of executives on notice that we are going to hold you accountable, and will ensure your employment will also be affected by these tone deaf decisions. 

They are the front line! 
And they keep McGill functioning!

Sincerely, 

Thomas Chalmers
President of MUNACA/PSAC 17602