In brief
Seven positions are vacant across our Bargaining and Executive Committees.
For Research Employees: the University has frozen all raises until a new collective agreement is signed, and negotiations cannot proceed without delegates at the table.
For Postdocs: the negotiation for the first collective agreement began this July.
A virtual Special General Assembly in early September will elect new executives and bargaining team members.
Jump to open positions · How to apply
Why this matters
A colleague reviews their contract and notices their workload has quietly grown beyond what was agreed. Another realizes their benefits don’t cover something essential. A third sees that onboarding for new hires leaves them confused about their rights for months. Each of them thinks: this could be better.
This is how CARE started back in 2012. But for the last few years, CARE has been run by an incomplete cabinet of executives and a severe lack of bargaining delegates.
At present, Guénolé, our Collective Agreement Officer, is the only delegate on the Research Employee unit’s Bargaining Committee. This September, the Executive Committee is likely to be reduced to a single member: Guénolé again.
Without bargaining delegates and executives, we cannot negotiate to renew the collective agreement, and day-to-day operations stall.
Open positions
You can join the committees right away on an interim basis, giving you time to gradually learn how union representation works, from grievance to bargaining. Formal elections will take place at a virtual Special General Assembly in early September.
Bargaining Committee
- Bargaining Delegates for Research Employee unit
- Bargaining Delegates for Post-Doctoral Fellow unit
Executive Committee
- General Coordinator
- Secretary-Treasurer
- Two (2) Grievance Officers
(maximum of two elected individuals per art. 4.1.1.iii of CARE bylaws) - One (1) Collective Agreement Officer
(maximum of two elected individuals per art. 4.1.1.ii of CARE bylaws) - Communications Officer
Bargaining update: Research Employee unit
The employer has issued a Notice to Bargain, and upcoming negotiations will shape salaries, benefits, and working conditions across both units for years to come. Here is what has happened so far with the expired collective agreement:
Early April: The University proposed extending the current agreement two more years, with any raise tied to the University’s own financial performance (which no one expects to improve).
The University’s proposal in detail:
“If the University’s Operating Revenue for the fiscal year 2026-2027 exceeds $647M, the University will increase the salary scales by the same percentage increase […]. If the increase for 2026-2027 is less than zero-point five percent (0.5%), such increase shall not be awarded for that year and shall instead be added to the percentage calculated for the 2027–2028 year, if any.”
May: We sent a reasonable counter-offer reflecting the unique funding structure of CARE members’ positions. CARE members’ salaries are funded by research grants, not the University’s operating budget. On that basis, the Bargaining Committee rejected the University’s proposal; our counter-offer contested only the salary provisions, leaving the rest unchanged.
June: Despite the reasonableness of our counter-offer, the University rejected it and sent us the Notice to Bargain. We formally entered the negotiation period.
Now: The University has put all raises on hold until a new collective agreement is signed.
Bargaining update: Post-Doctoral Fellow unit
We are negotiating our first collective agreement, which will establish salaries, benefits, and working conditions for all postdoctoral fellows for years to come. Here is what has happened so far:
July 14: Our bargaining committee and the employer held their first meeting, where the parties discussed all the issues to be negotiated.
To accelerate progress, we sought the assistance of a third party. A conciliator will be appointed shortly: the chief conciliator has personally confirmed this to our PSAC counsel. Once appointed, the conciliator will help both parties reach an agreement.
Summer: As we enter the summer break, both parties have agreed to notify the chief conciliator that conciliation and negotiation meetings will begin after the break.
September 15: Our next bargaining meeting with the employer is already scheduled.
We will share more details about the appointed conciliator as soon as we have them. In the meantime, please sign your union card if you have not signed it yet. The initial signing fee of two Canadian dollars funds our negotiation and legitimizes our bargaining power at court.
How to apply or get involved
Submit Your Application
You do not need prior union or negotiation experience: we provide onboarding, and all decisions are made collectively with the support of experienced members.
Participation can also be scaled to your capacity, from full committee membership, behind-the-scenes support (research, note-taking, translation, outreach), to general engagement.
To apply, please use this form to share your interest with the current executives.
Come to Our Coffee Chat
Location: Cafe Myriade, 1432 Rue Mackay, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2H7
Time and Date: 2 PM, Saturday, August 22nd, 2026
The current executives will be there to answer your questions and share their experience over past years. The union will cover the coffee and snacks.
