CUPE 2626 represents you as a worker holding a contract position, and  GSAÉD represents you as a graduate student.

If you have a workplace issue or question (i.e. tax returns for your TA position, unpaid hours of work), you should contact CUPE 2626.

If you have a question or issue related to being a graduate student at the University of Ottawa, you should contact GSAÉD.

If you have questions concerning your role as a worker, talk to us!

If there are positions open on the Executive Committee, you may be:

1. Nominated by any member (including yourself) at any of the General Assemblies and elected by the members to fill the open position;
2. Nominated by another Executive Committee member and elected by the Executive Committee. In this case, you would be appointed by interim. The position becomes vacant again at the following General Assembly, where you can run for the position

There are a number of committees active in our Union. Contact us for more information.

Contact one of the Stewards Representative:

A Collective Agreement is an agreement in writing between an employer and a trade union. The Collective Agreement contains provisions on the conditions of employment and the rights, privileges and duties of the Employer, the Union and the Employees.

To access our current Collective Agreement, click here.

When a member and/or the Union feels that their rights have been violated, the member and/or the Union may, if the matter cannot be resolved informally, file a grievance with the Employer. The Stewards Representative are mandated to assist in filing a grievance.

To learn more about grievances in general and what we can do to help you, click here.

There are multiple ways to address a work related issue (both formally and informally) depending on the preferences of a member as well as the severity of the issue at hand. Filing a formal grievance is only one of the tools at our disposition. Depending on the severity of the incident as well as your preference, we can try informal processes such as discussion and mediation with a representative of the University. This is an opportunity for both parties to work together towards an answer. However,  trying to resolve a problem through an informal process does not take away our capacity to file a formal grievance.

The professor you’re working for can ask you to perform new tasks not explicitly mentioned in your contract, as long as these tasks are still relevant to the work (i.e.supervise a re-take exam). You cannot be asked to do tasks which are not connected to your contract (i.e. personal work for the Supervisor or tasks of a Research Assistant while working a Teaching Assistant contract and vice versa).

Furthermore, any additional tasks must be factored into the remaining hours of your contract. If you are confused as to whether or not a specific task falls into your contract, feel free to contact us!

If you suspect that you will finish your allotted hours before the end date of your contract or before the completion of your assigned tasks, you must first fill out a Workload Review Form (Appendix E) and present it to the professor you work with. You can find this form on our website. The professor must then meet with you within 4 (four) business days of receiving the form to discuss how best to finish your tasks within your remaining hours.

It is possible to receive additional hours to complete your contractual tasks, if deemed necessary by the professor and if you agree to do them. In such circumstances, approval must be given in writing by the Chair of the relevant department.

Yes. All functions you perform as an Employee are counted in the hours you work. This includes reading assigned texts, meeting with the professor you’re working with, and showing up for class. Even if an assigned task takes longer than expected, you should count the hours which you actually worked.