Tribune The McGill
Published by the Tribune Publication Society Volume No. 31 Issue No. 5
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
SSMU Council 3 AUS Town Hall 4 Editorials 7 Bear Grylls 12 Music Theatre Montreal 13 NHL Previews 16-17 Redmen Lacrosse 18
Overfishing, pages 10-11
Thousands cheer on Redmen at third annual Fill the Stadium Game
Members of Red Thunder at last Friday’s Redmen football game. (Sam Reynolds / McGill Tribune)
MUNACA labour disruption passes the one month mark
Parties go before Quebec Labour Board; students protest against injunction at James Administration By Eric Mauser and Elisa Muyl News Editors The struggle between McGill and MUNACA over pensions, wages, and compensation has just entered its fifth week. Since Sept. 1, the parties have not come close to reaching a settlement on the core issues. However, there have been two major developments in the last few weeks: McGill was taken to court over alleged use of scab labour and the university filed an injunction
against MUNACA. The Quebec Labour Board, or the CNT, investigated MUNACA’s claims that McGill engaged in the use of scab labour while MUNACA members have been on strike. The investigation found McGill guilty of 20 violations of sections of Quebec’s Working Code. The report is not legally binding; it is up to the union to bring the findings to the labour board. The board’s subsequent decision will determine the outcome of these claims. Last week, both par-
ties went before the Quebec Labour Board and presented their cases; the board should reach a decision this week. The use of scab labour is illegal in Quebec, although there are cases in which employers may use other employees, such as managers, in place of striking workers in order to maintain functionality during a strike. According to Jérôme Turcq, the Regional Executive Vice-Preident: Quebec of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the use of manag-
ers as replacement employees usually happens on a small scale. Turcq claims, however, that McGill engaged in a level of scabbing that is unusual for employers. “I'll be honest, most employers don't use scabs—this is not usual ... I think they could easily prove 20 [cases of scabbing] now, probably 100 by the end of the process...” Turcq said, in an interview following a meeting held by MUNACA last Wednesday at the Palais de Congrès. “I have no doubt ... that McGill
has used scabs. If it would be an instace of one or two cases, I would be very careful of what I said; not with what the inspector has written ... as a whole, there are at least 20 scabs and McGill is just playing the game by denying it.” In the past, Turcq said, other Quebec universities like Laval, University of Montreal, Concordia, and Chicoutimi have seen cases of injunctions and the use of replacement workers, but have never seen See “MUNACA” on page 2