The campaign to unionize graduate and sessional academic workers at the University of Waterloo is gaining momentum!

We're honoured to have received the endorsements of the following groups from the campus community. Thank you for joining us in our efforts to make UW a better space for academic workers.

Timeline

This list will be updated regularly to add any new endorsements - check back for updates!

Feb 2022

• Math Graduate Student Association (mGSA) votes to endorse OrganizeUW's efforts towards unionization and to provide support in spreading the word about the campaign. The mGSA General Assembly unanimously passes the following motion:

  I move that the whereas union elections give workers the right to democratically determine their representation, mGSA endorses the effort by OrganizeUW to organize a union election for TAs, RAs, and Sessional Instructors at the University of Waterloo. I further move that the mGSA resolves to support this drive by such activities as forwarding emails to membership about information/events relevant to them and inviting representatives of OrganizeUW to mGSA events, where such collaboration would be helpful to OrganizeUW's objectives.

Apr 2021

• Graduate Association of Recreation and Leisure Studies (GARLS) passes a resolution to add their support to the growing OrganizeUW movement to unionize TAs, RAs, and Sessionals at uWaterloo.

Feb 2021

• Environment Graduate Student Association (EGSA) members vote to support University of Waterloo academic workers’ unionization campaign. Their endorsement statement explains the two main reasons for their support are: (1) “because [they] acknowledge the role a unionized campus can play in addressing the climate crisis” and (2) they “believe that a unionized campus will help to fulfill [the EGSA's] constitution to represent the voice of all graduate students within the EGSA membership and to ensure their positive and fulfilling graduate experience.” The EGSA and OUW will host a joint town hall to discuss workplace issues in the Faculty and the role of unions to address them.

Jan 2021

• Council of Graduates in Germanic and Slavic Studies (CoGS) members vote at their annual meeting to endorse unionization at UW and the OrganizeUW movement. CoGS will share campaign information and updates with their members.
• Philosophy Graduate Student Association (PGSA) membership votes on a motion to endorse unionization at uWaterloo: “The PGSA supports the unionization of TAs, RAs, and Sessionals, and supports the OrganizeUW unionization movement.”
• Migrant Students United (MSU) - University of Waterloo Chapter supports the campaign by TAs, RAs, and Sessional Instructors to unionize in order to gain new workplace rights/protections and win improved working conditions for both international/migrant students and domestic workers at UW.
  • Description: Migrant Students United was founded in 2018 to help migrant students struggling with immigration and work issues. Run for migrant students, by migrant students, they offer a place for students to ask questions, share advice, and strategize. They also advocate for fairness at work, equal rights, and an end to the exploitation that comes from unequal, temporary status. MSU is part of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC), a democratic member-led organization of migrant farmworkers, care workers, current/former international students, and more, striving to win worker and immigration justice.

Dec 2020

• Fossil Free UW (FFUW) “announce[s their] unanimous endorsement of the CUPE-supported graduate student workers unionization effort, OrganizeUW”! FFUW's enthusiastic letter of support explains why they support the campaign, including “the [exciting] opportunities presented by a CUPE-supported grad student union at UWaterloo […] [to] bargain for legally binding environmental standards and protocols,” along with CUPE's long history of boosting democractic, member-driven environmental action across sectors in Canada and around the world. FFUW will co-host a webinar on Climate Justice & Unions (see link for recording) to dicuss how a unionized campus can help address many key environmental issues and objectives.
  • Description: Fossil Free UW is a grassroots group of UW students, faculty, staff, and community members working to make our campus a climate justice leader, with fossil fuel divestment as a first step. They support and contribute to other local grassroots efforts for sustainability and environmental justice.
• Student Association for Graduates in English (SAGE) announces their endorsement of the campaign. SAGE will share information with their membership through their newsletter and blog, and hold a town hall to inform students in English about the drive.

Jul 2020

• UW Graduate Student Association (GSA) Council votes to officially support OrganizeUW's grassroots, student-led union drive. A prior Council vote, held in January 2020 after significant consultation with constituents across UW, showed a high level of support for unionization among the student body. GSA will share campaign updates and information via their monthly newsletter, website, and social media, co-host occasional events to help inform students about OUW efforts, and permit OUW to use the Graduate House for regular organizing events.

Thank you again to all supporting organizations, big and small! Your advocacy in your departments, schools, and faculties is crucial to grow our grassroots campaign and help make sure an inclusive and representative union becomes a reality at UW.

Attention UW community members!

Do you run or belong to a campus group or other UW-related organization of students, faculty, or staff? Would you like to learn more about us, what a union at UW could mean for your members, how you can support the movement, or to officially endorse unionization? Please get in touch with us to discuss!