Thunder Bay/Orillia, Ont. (570 graduate/research assistants) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3905
Renewal agreement: Effective Sept. 1, 2020 to Aug. 31, 2023. Ratified in April 2021. Signed on July 5, 2021.
Wage adjustments:
Effective Sept. 1, 2020: 1%
Effective Sept. 1, 2021: 1%
Effective Sept. 1, 2022: 1%
Paid holidays: 11 days.
Medical benefits: Employer pays for 95% of monthly premiums, employee pays 5% of premiums for group medical benefits plan and hospital benefit plan, single coverage. Employee pays 100% of premiums for optional spouse and dependant coverage with corresponding offset equal to amount of employer-paid premium for single coverage.
Dental: Employer pays 80% of monthly single premium rate, employee pays 20% of premiums for graduate dental plan.
Vision: Employer pays 95% of monthly premiums, employee pays 5% of premiums for coverage of 80% of cost of eye examinations up to $75 every 24 months.
Paramedical: Reimbursement of treatment of 80% per visit up to $350 per year per practitioner (licensed speech therapist, registered massage therapist (with physician prescription), clinical psychologist, chiropractor, osteopath, chiropodist/podiatrist, physiotherapist, naturopath).
Sick leave: Employees are eligible for sick leave without pay if they are unable to perform assigned duties due to personal illness or injury.
Bereavement leave: 3 paid days for death of spouse, child, parent, sibling, stepsibling, parent-in-law, sibling-in-law, grandparent, grandchild. Up to 2 additional paid days may be given in exceptional cases or where lengthy trip is required to attend funeral.
Seniority – recall rights: 120 calendar days.
Discipline: Sunset clause is 12 months for any warning or reprimand.
Sample rates of pay (current fall/winter term wages, after increase):
Graduate assistant/research assistant 1: $10,402.66 rising 1 step to $10,506.89
Graduate assistant/research assistant 2: $38.52/hour rising 1 step to $38.91/hour
Graduate assistant/research assistant 3: $11,344.35 rising 1 step to $11,457.79
Undergraduate assistant 1: $19.12/hour rising 1 step to $19.31/hour
Undergraduate assistant 2: $16.06/hour rising in 2 step to $16.22/hour
Learning assistant tutor (enrolled in doctoral/graduate degree/diploma program): $25.47/hour rising 1 step to $25.72/hour
Editor’s notes: Employee financial assistance fund: $10,000 allocated to fund to assist employees with academic and living expenses (including child-care expenses). Academic freedom: All employees who are primarily responsible for content or presentation of course will be accorded academic freedom in design or presentation of that course. All other employees will be accorded academic freedom subject to reasonable instructions of their employment supervisors. Appointments: Graduate student registered in graduate degree program or doctoral program may be offered full-time or half-time appointment as graduate assistant/research assistant 1 or GA/RA 3. Full-time assistantship will constitute 270 hours in which graduate works 2 of 3 terms within academic year and average not more than 10 hours of work per week (maximum of 20 hours per week during peak demand times). Half-time assistantship will constitute 135 hours.
