Maria Cholakova

CSU council candidates are calling out S4B. Photo Maria Cholakova

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

The group is being accused of using student campaigning material without permission

New group Students for Better (S4B) has been accused of using student councillor campaigning materials without permission from the Concordia Student Union (CSU).

At 10:43 a.m. on March 8, S4B posted a campaign photo of Adam Mills, a candidate running for the CSU general elections, on Instagram. The post featured a screenshot of Mills’s campaign promises alongside his portrait and the caption “Adam is committed to better.” 

When Mills woke up in the morning, he said he was bombarded with messages from his friends who were asking about the post. He told The Link that he had not given S4B permission to use his photo and that he did not want an endorsement from the anonymous group. 

After finding out, Mills commented under the post and told the group to delete the endorsement. His comment was hidden. 

Around 45 minutes later, after Mills called out the group on his personal Instagram, a number of students started commenting to demand S4B take down the post. 

The post was deleted a few hours later.

Mills said he found the endorsement problematic, in part due to S4B being an anonymous group trying to influence the results of the election. 

“[S4B is] a third party [and] nobody knows who they are,” Mills said. “Imagine there was an outside company trying to get a contract from the CSU. They could easily influence the CSU in that way and get some councillors on board and some executives on board and easily get a contract.” 

He added that he also did not want to be associated with the company because he doesn’t know what their end goal is. 

Mills isn’t the only student who had not permitted their image to be used. Kinsey El Tanani, a student running for CSU council, was also endorsed by S4B. Her post was originally taken down on March 8 and reposted again on March 10 without her consent, and then taken down again. 

El Tanani told The Link that she found the endorsement troubling. 

“I believe I was targeted because I am Arab and less vocal about my political opinions compared to other candidates,” El Tanani said. “At no point was I asked for permission to be featured, nor did I ever indicate support for any of the propaganda S4B is spreading against the CSU.”

What do we (not) know about S4B? 

In mid-February, S4B started posting on Concordia University’s subreddit account r/Concordia, criticizing the CSU and urging people to vote in the upcoming CSU elections. Students reported seeing the organization’s sponsored posts on both Instagram and Reddit. 

On March 6, the group also had a paid advertisement at the Guy-Concordia metro station that read: “The CSU puts Concordia’s credibility in danger.”

The group is yet to disclose its finances publicly. 

According to S4B’s website, the organization’s mission is to push “for real leadership – seeking financial transparency, fighting for affordability and inclusivity, and ensuring that student government works for all students, not just a select few.”

S4B’s website also reads that the group “is a grassroots initiative driven by a group of students, alumni, and community members who share a deep commitment to fostering a productive environment for students on college campuses.”

However, S4B is yet to publicize who is running the group behind the scenes.

Mills thinks S4B’s involvement in the elections is a sign of the political climate on campus. 

“The administration’s always already [putting] into question the validity of how the CSU governs itself and its elections,” Mills said. “This certainly doesn’t help the legitimacy of the CSU.”

The Link has reached out to S4B for comment. At the time of publication, the organization is yet to reply. 

According to a promotional ad on Instagram, S4B is allegedly using advertising agency Mash Strategy, a firm based out of Calgary, Alberta. According to the CBC, the business is a “consulting firm that has done work for various conservative parties and leaders.” 

The Link has reached out to Mash Strategy to confirm their involvement with S4B. At the time of publication, the organization is yet to reply. 

This is a developing story. 

Graphic Panos Michalakopoulos

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

What to know about the university’s undergraduate student union and associations

CSU

Founded in 1979, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) represents all undergraduate students at the university. Their job is to help students navigate university life and assist in advocating for issues to Concordia’s administration.

The CSU funds several services across campus. These include the CSU Advocacy Centre, the Housing and Job Resource Centre, the Legal Information Clinic, the Student Daycare and Nursery and a transitional housing pilot project that aims to provide temporary rent-free housing for students in need. The full list of CSU organizations and services can be found on the CSU’s website.

Politically, the CSU has actively been fighting against austerity and openly advocating for climate justice. They have also divested from Scotiabank for its investments in Elbit systems.

ASFA

Founded in 2001, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) is Concordia’s largest faculty-level student association, representing approximately 17,000 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Science. The federation represents 30 student associations across the faculty that serve the academic and accessibility interests of its members across different departments.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, ASFA actively campaigned against Quebec’s tuition hikes and advocated for a car-free Mackay Street with the help of Pedestrianize Mackay. Politically, ASFA has taken a stance in support of Palestinian solidarity, demanding the university divest from companies complicit in genocide and stand in support of Indigenous sovereignty.

CASA JMSB

The Commerce and Administration Students’ Association (CASA) is the undergraduate student association at the John Molson School of Business (JMSB). Representing over 7,000 business students, CASA is the umbrella organization for six student associations that represent different departments across JMSB. CASA is also in charge of two services: CASA’s Conference Program and their special funding for student projects.

Moreover, CASA is not known for its political activism, being the only student-run association not to participate in the anti-austerity movement during the 2023-2024 academic year.

ECA

The Engineering and Computer Science Association (ECA) represents all 6,800 undergraduate students at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science. Under the ECA umbrella, 17 student groups host different activities and workshops, most notably HackConordia and Space Concordia.

Politically, ECA is not the most outspoken. However, during the 2023-2024 academic year, the ECA voted to go on strike against Quebec’s tuition hikes.

FASA

The Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA) is a student association comprised of over 3,000 Faculty of Fine Arts undergraduate students. FASA is known for its political activism. The association works in a non-hierarchical manner and is “committed to being an open, inclusive organization that recognizes diversity.” FASA also aims to provide access and inclusion to communities traditionally marginalized.

Like ASFA, during the 2023-2024 academic year FASA actively campaigned against Quebec’s tuition hikes and was the first association to go on strike. Additionally, they took a stance in support of Palestinian solidarity, demanding the university divest from complicit companies. The association also funds a BIPOC Solidarity grant and hosts a variety of political and artsy workshops for students.

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 1, published September 3, 2024.

Due to rise of racism on campus, Concordia has created a new task force which promises to create a safe campus space. Photo Matthew Daldalia

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

The university promises to create a safe campus for students of diverse backgrounds

On April 3, Concordia President Graham Carr informed students by email that a new task force called Standing Together against Racism and Identity-based Violence (STRIVE) has been formed. 

The creation of the task force comes after months of increasing tension on campus. On Nov. 8, 2023, a confrontation in the Henry F. Hall building between Israeli and Palestinian students turned violent. More recently, on March 13, a few students from the Muslim Student Association (MSA) expressed that they do not feel safe on campus, due to claims of Zionist students verbally harassing them on a regular basis. Several members of MSA accused students of calling them terrorists, pro-Hamas supporters and MSA terrorists. 

According to Carr, since October 2023, there has been an increase in “manifestations of hate, acts of intimidation and other instances of identity-based violence.” In his statement, Carr said these incidents are unacceptable. 

The university created STRIVE as a result of increasing identity-based violence on campus. According to the university’s website, the task force will aim to address identity-based violence, strengthen anti-discrimination efforts and develop new policies and initiatives to combat discrimination at Concordia. 

The task force will consist of one overseeing body and six subcommittees. Each subcommittee will consist of one lead and three members representing staff, students and faculty. The subcommittees will tackle key issues, including antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, anti-Asian racism, transphobia, as well as campus climate and campus engagement. 

For each subcommittee, the university will examine existing campus policies and systems in place for complaints. The university will also evaluate the community’s access to campus services and speak to the relevant Concordia and Montreal communities to deduce what measures are needed. 

According to Concordia’s website, the committees are seeking participants to join the task force. 

This isn’t the first time the university has created a task force. Concordia currently has one task force, the Task Force on anti-Black Racism. Alongside the task force, Concordia also created a committee on Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence in 2018—the latter of which has been heavily criticized by students. These criticisms involve being non-student-centric and unable to adequately deal with cases or listening to student complaints. 

Carr promises to notify the student body of any advancements or progress made by STRIVE. 

Concordia hired security agents from firm founded by ex-IDF soldier. Graphic Tam Bedard

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

The university spent over $30,000 on external security

From Sept. 30 to Nov. 22, 2024, Concordia University spent $33,683 on external security hires. 

On four different occasions, the university spent the money to hire the external company Perceptage International for a total of 14 days of work. 

What is Perceptage International? 

The security consulting firm Perceptage International was founded in 2008 by Adam Cohen, an ex-Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldier, the national director of community security for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), and the director of community security for Federation CJA. Activists have heavily criticized all three companies for “anti-Palestinian practices.”  

Perceptage itself has been accused of hiring ex-IDF soldiers and having ties to the Israeli government.

In a now-deleted section of their website, Perceptage listed a total of nine security agents using only initials or pseudonyms and highlighted each member’s training, where all nine agents had completed an “Israeli Close Protection Course.” Currently, agent details are not available on the Perceptage website.

Students have also raised concerns about Perceptage’s connection with the security consulting company Moshav Security Consultants, a central division of Perceptage. Moshav is managed by Eyal Feldman, a reserve major in the Israeli army and a former special advisor to Israel’s Ministry of Defense. At the time of publication, Moshav’s website is unavailable.

Perceptage declined The Link’s request for an interview. 

According to Concordia deputy spokesperson Julie Fortier, the university has had no contact with Moshav. Fortier also claimed that all Perceptage agents hired by the university were Canadian armed forces veterans. 

Hiring of Perceptage

According to records acquired by The Link, the university hired the security company for 14 days during the Fall 2024 semester. The number of agents varied from day to day, from two to eight per shift. 

Agents were asked to wear beige pants or jeans, a black polo with no logos and a vest. Concordia provided the agents with velcro patches with the Concordia Safety and Prevention Services (CSPS) logo.  

The university hired the largest number of agents during the student strikes for Palestine, on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22. On those days, a total of eight agents were stationed across the campus per day, costing the university a total of $12,141. The agents’ duties were described as “crowd control and special intervention.”

The second largest number of agents hired was from the period of Sept. 30 to Oct.11, 2024, where four agents were stationed per day, costing the university over $20,235. Concordia hired the agents for “crowd control and special intervention” in anticipation of protests on Oct. 7. 

The only occasion where the university hired the company for an event not in direct relation to a Palestine demonstration was for a farewell event for Chancellor Jonathan Wener, hosted in the Eaton Centre on Nov. 6. Wener was Concordia’s chancellor since 2015. 

Interactions with security during protests 

Perceptage agents have been accused of physically assaulting students while stationed at pro-Palestine demonstrations. According to a video posted on Solidarity for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR)’s Instagram page on Nov. 22, during the student strikes for Palestine, Perceptage and other CSPS officers were seen aggressively pushing students away from picketing actions and into the stairway of the Henry F. Hall building, all the while, students shouted: “Don’t touch them, don’t shove them, these are Concordia students.” 

According to Fortier, “CSPS intervened after receiving a complaint when a group of protestors attempted to block access to a class where students had not voted to strike and wanted to attend class.”

“CSPS intervened to prevent an escalation between students,” Fortier said. 

Student criticism and concern

Students have criticized Concordia’s decision to hire Perceptage. According to ex-SPHR general coordinator and current Palestinian Youth Movement member Zeyad Abisaab, he feels the decision to hire Perceptage highlights the lack of care for student safety. 

“The main function of security is to provide safety and a sense of security to students,” Abisaab said. He believes that if you were to ask students how they feel around unknown mercenaries, students would not feel safe. 

Concordia Student Union (CSU) external affairs and mobilization coordinator Danna Ballantyne believes that the hiring of Perceptage was a way for Concordia to silence Palestinian voices on campus.

“I think the university throws around the word ‘apolitical,’” Ballantyne said. “None of their actions show that from the emails that they send the student body, to the force that they use against us, to where they put their money.”

According to Fortier, the university makes security-related decisions to ensure the safety of the community. 

“CSPS can hire other agents to support them depending on security needs for some events,” Fortier said. “This was the case last fall after aggressive behaviour, assault and vandalism occurred during recent demonstrations and as we knew larger demonstrations would take place.” 

Ballantyne disagrees. She thinks that the university only considers events violent when they disrupt those in power. She continued by saying that Concordia did not publically consider it violent when the SPVM attacked Palestinian students on campus.  

“What we see is psychological warfare against students,” Ballantyne said. “At the end of the day, by consistently pinning a certain demographic of students as violent, as assaulters, as agitators, you’re enabling violence against them, whether it be at the hands of security or whether it be at the hands of other students.” 

Moving forward, Abisaab thinks the university should release the names of the security guards who assaulted students and commit to never hiring Perceptage agents again. 

“The students of Concordia reject Perceptage being on campus,” Abisaab said. “The university needs to commit to never hiring them again and prohibiting them on campus.”

With files from Dana Hachwa 

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 7, published January 14, 2025.

Student union setting up for press conference against police brutality infront of the Henry F. Hall Building. Photo Maria Cholakova

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

The student union held a press conference to discuss police brutality on campus

On Nov. 1, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) held a press conference in front of the Henry. F. Hall Building where they accused the university of police brutality and racial discrimination. 

The press conference was announced in a joint statement with nine other student associations two days earlier on Oct. 30. The statement called for the immediate removal of all police officers on campus; that the university publicly commits to forbidding police presence on campus; and for Campus Safety and Prevention Services (CSPS) to formally sever their relationship with the SPVM. 

In addition, they demanded that CSPS publicly commits to abolishing five practices:
following students off campus; conducting citizen’s arrests; physical apprehension and detainment; preemptively coordinating response with police prior to political demonstrations; and facilitating police brutality and arrest instead of engaging in de-escalation.

CSU external affairs and mobilization coordinator Danna Ballantyne was the first to speak at the press conference.

“In the last few weeks, our students have been arrested, detained and even physically brutalized, all while conducting non-violent political demonstrations,” she said. “We deserve to come to campus to learn and to have open dialogue without fearing for our safety.”

Since the start of the fall semester, four students have been arrested at demonstrations, leading many to speak out against the university. 

“After months of Concordia students being stalked and harassed by CSPS, brutalized by police on campus, international students fearing deportation, […] students have had enough,” CSU academic and advocacy coordinator Vanessa Massot said. “We demand that Concordia do better. Student leadership has been met with nothing but inaction from the university’s administration.” 

Students aren’t the only ones speaking out against the university. Norma Rantisi, a professor in the geography, planning and environment department, spoke out in support of students, staff and faculty who have felt targeted by police. 

“Students have had a longstanding engagement with social movements and with organizing for justice. For this, students should be commended, not repressed; their voices uplifted, not censored; their activism supported, not criminalized,” Rantisi said. “Heightened policing and surveillance on our university campuses not only presents a dangerous setting for students, but also for marginalized faculty and staff.”

Students protesting on the 12th floor of the Hall building. Photo Andraé Lerone Lewis

Maria Cholakova & Safa Hachi,
Local Journalism Initiative

Over two dozen students were picketing classes and hundreds rallied in front of the Hall building

Nov. 21 marked the first day of an international university strike movement for Palestine. 

The strikes were organized by 11 Concordia University student associations and one faculty association on campus, comprising over 11,000 students across Concordia. Across Montreal, 85,000 students are striking on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22. 

Strikes and picketing

The morning strikes started as early as 8 a.m., with groups of students dispatching from Le Frigo Vert to different classes across the Sir George Williams campus. 

Pickets were peaceful, and most of the picketed classes were successfully cancelled on-site or beforehand by professors. For soft-picketed classes, picketers entered classrooms and encouraged students to join the movement. 

Police presence was minimal in the morning, with few police cars surrounding the campus. 

According to Danna Ballantyne, external affairs and mobilization coordinator at the Concordia Student Union, these strikes are a denunciation of violence.

“They are meant to show the administration that we don’t want any part in the violence they are taking part in,” Ballantyne said, referring to Concordia’s recent increase in police on campus, which had led to four student arrests. 

Rally at Hall building

The student movement grew more active at 2 p.m. for a “Support the Strike” rally organized by Solidarity for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR), as an extension of the overall day of strikes. The demonstration started off with around 100 people, who were joined by several hundred students from Dawson College and McGill University 10 minutes into the rally. 

Before the rally, SPHR and student associations had made their strike demands public. Their demands include: for Concordia to publicize their full investment portfolio; for the university to seize all employment partnerships with military companies; for the university to publically condemn the genocide in Gaza; for the university to prohibit police presence on campus; and for the administration to “stop its repression campaign on students.”  

The demonstration began with chants from SPHR organizers demanding that the university divest.

According to Zeyad Abisaab, ex-general coordinator of SPHR and current Palestinian Youth Movement member, the student movement has grown too strong for the university. 

“Today, as we see, is a historic day for the student movement. 11,000 students are on strike at Concordia, 11,000 students saying they do not want to be complicit with Israel, 11,000 students demanding that Concordia cut ties with weapons companies,” Abisaab said. “Concordia has ignored these demands.” 

On Nov. 19, two days before the strikes, Concordia had sent out an email to students asking for peaceful strikes and for all students to renounce violence.

“Every Concordian has the right to study and work without fear of experiencing physical violence, witnessing vandalism or being the target of harassment. As a community, we must agree that attacks on people and property are simply unacceptable and cannot be tolerated,” the email stated. 

Soon after students joined the rally, demonstrators entered the Henry F. Hall building, where four Concordia Safety and Prevention Service (CSPS) officers were blocking the entrance. 

Despite CSPS officers’ attempts at restraining students from entering the Hall building, students made their way inside to the main floor, chanting “Free, free Palestine.” 

Demonstrators stayed on the main floor for roughly 20 minutes, chanting, waving Palestinian flags and demanding the university divest from genocide. 

For many participants, the strike represented both a personal and collective stand. 

“Knowing I can have an impact means a lot,” Concordia student Kris Wachniak said. “Look at how many people showed up to express solidarity, it’s truly moving.”

Wachniak was not the only student feeling this way. 

“Thousands of us are supporting this strike for a reason,” said a student who wanted to keep their name anonymous for fear of academic repercussions. “Our governments and schools do nothing. It sits on my conscience to know my money is funding these war machines.” 

At 2:43 p.m., Concordia sent out an emergency alert to students, encouraging them to avoid the area in and around the Hall building and to evacuate if they felt they needed to. 

Five minutes before Concordia’s mass email, students had started moving up the floors of the Hall building, continuing their demonstration. 

In big groups, students walked up the escalators, banging on the sides, ringing bells and chanting slogans like “Disclose, divest, we will not stop we will not rest.” 
 

Around 3:00 p.m., protesters exited the Hall Building and gathered briefly outside before beginning a march down De Maisonneuve Blvd. W. towards Guy St., eventually circling back to Mackay St. Protesters carried signs, flags and a large cardboard cutout of Concordia President Graham Carr.  

While most of the strike remained focused on calls for divestment and solidarity with Palestine, a smaller pro-Israel group gathered nearby at the intersection of Mackay St. and De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., surrounded by SPVM officers. Despite tensions, no altercations occurred, though both groups exchanged chants. 

No arrests were made on campus. 

Over a dozen SPVM officers were stationed in the Henry F. Hall Building due to an altrecation between groups. Photo Maria Cholakova

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

Police separated StartUp Nation and pro-Palestine students in the Henry F. Hall Building

On Dec. 3, over two dozen pro-Palestine students protested the invitation of Yoseph Haddad, a former Israeli Defense Forces soldier at the Henry F. Hall Buidling.

The event was organized by Concordia University’s Israeli group StartUp Nation. Over two dozen students and pro-Israel supporters gathered at the Hall building mezzanine for an event hosting Haddad. 

Haddad’s presence on campus was marketed as a tabling event where students would have the chance to speak and ask him questions.

The event started at 12 p.m., with Haddad giving a speech to participants and media. At around 12:40 p.m., over two dozen pro-Palestine students joined and began chanting in opposition to the event. The two groups clashed in front of the mezzanine elevators.

Escalations  

Following the arrival of counterprotesters, Haddad, who has been criticized for denying the Palestinian genocide, approached several Concordia Student Union (CSU) executives, attempting to speak to them at arms lenght. The CSU executives did not interact with the speaker. 

Tensions kept growing between the two groups, with protesters shouting through megaphones and Haddad chanting “Terrorists off campus” while facing the pro-Palestine students. The majority of the chants came from counter-protestors, with SPHR chanting “Free, free Palestine” from the start of the altercation to its end. 

According to Zeyad Abisaab, former SPHR general coordinator and current Palestinian Youth Movement member, Concordia students have made their demands clear. 

“Bringing someone that is a genocide apologist, who spreads hate, racism and Islamophobia wherever he goes, is not something that the Concordia students tolerate,” Abisaab said. 

Over 10 students approached Concordia’s Campus Safety and Prevention Services (CSPS) officers, pleading and demanding that the officers break up or separate the two groups. Instead, CSPS agents blocked access to the building’s escalators until the SPVM arrived.  

According to Abisaab, for students to feel safe on campus, Concordia needs to divest from companies complicit in the Palestinian genocide. 

SPVM arriving on campus 

At around 12:55 p.m., over 15 SPVM officers arrived on the scene. Ten minutes later, the police separated the two groups by taping off a portion of the mezzanine floor. Agents then proceeded to create a human barrier between the two groups. 

An hour after the counter-protest started, StartUp Nation and Haddad exited the Hall building and continued their demonstration outside. 

Aftermath

CSU external affairs and mobilization coordinator Danna Ballantyne claims the union did everything possible to prevent escalation. She said that after learning about the event, the CSU contacted StartUp Nation stating that the club was breaking CSU and Concordia regulations on space usage. 

According to a CSU email concerning booking tables, acquired by The Link, StartUp Nation answered “not applicable”  to the question of having an external member coming to the table. This violated Article 16 of Concordia’s and CSU’s policy on the temporary use of university spaces.  

In an attempt to stop the event the CSU also removed all tables from the mezzanine. 

Ballantyne also claims that the CSU was in contact with the acting dean of students and CSPS before the start of the event. Ballantyne stressed her disappointment in the lack of action from CSPS. 

“We were really hoping that today, the administration and [CSPS] […] would do their due diligence, and make sure all steps were taken to prevent these policy violations and this individual, who is a known Islamophobe, from stepping on campus,” she said.   

This altercation comes a month after the student union accused the university of allowing CSPS agents to racially profile students. 

According to Julie Fortier, Concordia’s spokesperson, the “CSU informed us of the event yesterday, when we understand they cancelled the tabling request. We also informed [StartUp Nation] that they had not followed the protocol for this tabling as they did not mention an external individual would be present and asked that they not proceed with the event.” 

When asked for a comment regarding student’s concerns over the presence of a former soldier on campus, the university did not answer to the question. 

Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Concordia University has formally made an announcement regarding the recent tuition hikes announced by the provincial government.

Tuition would double for out-of-province students and require universities to pay $20,000 to the government per international student enrolled from fall 2024.

The university expressed their dissatisfaction with the policy, stating that the change will have “devastating financial implications for Concordia and undermine our reputation as a global, next-gen university proud of its diversity, accessibility and openness to the world.”

According to Concordia, the university will lose $15.5 million in revenue for the 2024-2025 academic years and $62 million per year for the following four years. The university stated that their departments are expecting to lose 65 to 90 per cent of their out-of-province student population.

Concordia isn’t the only university speaking out. As a response to the Quebec government’s proposed tuition hikes, McGill shelved its plan to invest $50 million in promoting French to its staff, students and faculty members.

Students also took to the streets to voice their disapproval of the recent change. On Oct 30, students from Concordia, McGill and Bishop’s University organized a joint strike to protest the recent governmental implementations, voicing their anger and concerns over the news.

To combat the new provincial policy, Concordia says they are planning to “seek open channels of communication with the government, working with our colleagues at McGill and Bishop’s.”

Maria Cholakova

Local Journalism Initiative

Unions across campus have started negotiations with Concordia University to increase workers’ pay and sign new collective agreements.

The Concordia Association of Research Employees (CARE) has been at the negotiating table for over a year, demanding livable wages that match inflation and that are comparable to other universities in Montreal.

According to the union’s secretary-treasurer, Gabrielle McLaren, negotiations with Concordia have been “extremely difficult.” CARE’s collective agreement expired on May 31, 2022 and the union started negotiations three months later. However, McLaren noted that Concordia didn’t want to budge on salaries.

“They’ve been really unflinching, which is a problem,” she said. “It took us a really, really long time to even get Concordia to talk about money.”

She said she believes Concordia’s unwillingness to increase salaries is unfounded when comparing research employee salaries to those at McGill. “[McGill] just takes research more seriously and it shows financially,” she said.

Depending on the job employees unionized under CARE have, the hourly salary as a research assistant (RA) is a minimum of $23.43 per hour. In contrast, McGill pays RAs a minimum of $28 to $30 per hour.

By November 2022, negotiations were slower than CARE would have liked. “It became really clear that it was sort of [Concordia’s] way or the highway, which isn’t how bargaining works. That’s not how negotiations work,” McLaren said. Then, CARE decided to take matters into their own hands.

On Feb. 22, 2023, one hour before their meeting with Concordia’s negotiating team, CARE members gathered in front of the Faubourg Building, giving out flyers and informing passersby on the need for an increase in RA wages. The gathering was quickly shut down by Concordia security, who asked union members for their IDs.

“It became really clear from the start of that meeting that the university was unhappy that they had been greeted downstairs by our group, and it was a really difficult meeting that ended up with Concordia telling us that if we didn’t agree with them, we should just leave,” McLaren said.

For McLaren, the meetings weren’t productive anymore. “[Concordia] wasn’t respecting what we were bringing to the table, they weren’t showing up at meetings ready,” she said.

CARE then moved to conciliation, a step in bargaining where a neutral party would get involved to facilitate and fast-forward negotiation discussions.

“At first, we were sensing a change of attitude,” McLaren said. “Tensions in the room were releasing, the dialogue was more productive, but […] that did not last.”

In early August, Concordia presented an offer. Although some demands were met, the minimum salary was not increased for 2023. “It is ridiculous, given inflation. Plus, the minimums aren’t that high, they’re like $21,” she said.

Concordia refusing to increase wages was unacceptable for CARE. “You’re asking people to have research expertise, to have specialized skills with different software, different computing, different financial systems, different administrations; that’s not a competitive salary,” said McLaren.

CARE didn’t accept the offer and waited until September for Concordia’s new offer, which never came.

“Often our colleagues would ask, ‘How’d it go?’ And it was really tough,” she said. “How do I tell them that the employer just wasted two months of our time in the most diplomatic way possible.”

According to Vannina Maestracci, Concordia’s spokesperson, “The parties continue to negotiate and we are committed to reaching an agreement.”

The struggle for better pay has been felt by CARE and CREW-CSN alike.

Zachary Mitchell, a CREW-CSN militant and a teaching assistant (TA) and RA in the history department, said that considering inflation hit 5.2 per cent, the union will demand pay to at least match inflation.

“Fundamentally, a lot of us are being priced out of our own city. This is where we work, this is where we live. If we can’t afford rent, if we can’t afford food, what are we supposed to do?”

Mitchell said a better working environment culturally would benefit TAs and RAs as a whole. “We’re contracted for [a certain] number of hours, but often the expectation is to work above those hours, and there’s a real culture around it that’s developed over the years,” he said.

Mitchell added that Concordia’s negotiation strategies should change in order for unions to see change. “Concordia really has signalled sort of a policy of austerity in the past years, despite record inflation, but a very selective austerity,” he said.

He used Concordia President Graham Carr’s 10 per cent salary increase as an example in contrast to their strict no-pay increases for unions.

“Some of the unions here, even ones which are asking for very little—like four or five per cent—they’re kind of getting snubbed,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell added that all hope is not lost. “When things fail at the bargaining table, that’s when unions begin to take larger steps doing things like industrial action, possibly even escalating eventually to strikes,” he said.