About AGSEM

The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) is the oldest Teaching Assistant Union in the province of Quebec. As a labour union, AGSEM represents graduate Teaching Assistants, Invigilators, and Course-Based Academic Casuals at McGill. AGSEM has bargained with the McGill administration to produce TA and Invigilator Collective Agreements, which are legal documents that protect student workers.

Teaching Assistants

On January 11th, 1993, AGSEM was certified as a union to represent Teaching Assistants and to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with McGill University. AGSEM Unit 1 is the Union of Teaching Assistants.

Today, we continue to fight for better working conditions and pay rates for Teaching Assistants. We are dedicated to improving the quality of education at McGill for both graduate and undergraduate students by advocating for increased teaching support and student services.

Invigilators

Invigilators at McGill were accredited as a union in March 2010, after a successful vote (94%) in favour of unionizing. We signed our first collective agreement on October 7, 2013. AGSEM Unit 2 is the Union of Invigilators at McGill University.

In March 2013 Invigilators decided to join the Executive Committee structure, Budget and Delegate Council with those of AGSEM Unit 1 (Teaching Assistants). The highest decision-making body of our Unit is our Unit General Assembly where every invigilator has a vote and a voice. All decisions related to bargaining are made at the Invigilator General Assembly, which is why it is so important for all members to come out and join in the discussion.

Academic Casuals

On August 13, 2024, a new bargaining unit was certified to represent the over 1000 academic casuals that work at McGill each semester: graders, course tutors, undergraduate student course assistants, graduate student assistants, student course assistants, course assistants, and graduate teaching fellows. AGSEM Unit 3 is the Union of Course-Based Academic Casuals.

AGSEM’s Unit 3 addresses changes to the nature of academic work since graduate Teaching Assistants unionized in 1993. Over three decades on, it’s not only graduate students who assist in the delivery of education at McGill. Unit 3 also closes a legal loophole exploited by the employer to hire workers outside of the Unit 1 Collective Agreement, paying as low as minimum wage with no job protections or benefits.

It’s time for a fair contract for ALL academic support workers at McGill!

Affiliates

AGSEM is an autonomous union affiliated with the CSN, FNEEQ and CCMM. Unlike other labour organizations, these are not “parent unions”: all decision-making takes place at the local level. Our highest decision-making body is the General Assembly, where every member has an equal vote and right to speak.

The Union subscribes to the declaration of principles of the CSN and has as its objectives the examination and improvement of the social, professional, economic and political interests of its members. These goals shall be pursued collectively and include negotiating Collective Agreements, precluding any form of discrimination based on race, sex, language, age, political opinion or affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, social class, ethnicity, or physical or mental disability. The Union shall also seek to ally itself with similar union organizations.

Other Pages in this Section

Constitution and Policies

The Constitution for the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill is a document that governs the internal affairs and management of the Union. The AGSEM Constitution can be found here. Equity Policies At the 1 April 2014 All-Units General Assembly, AGSEM adopted an Equity Statement to be read aloud before all Delegates’ Council and General Assemblies. The AGSEM Equity Statement can be found here. AGSEM also adopted an Equity Policy and Internal Complaints Procedure in April 2013, which provides AGSEM with a procedure by which to address complaints related to harassment and/or discrimination within the Union.

From the AGSEM Archives: 30 Years of Grauate Student Labour Organizing at McGill

Poster advertising referendum to certify with CSN (November 1992). AGSEM Archives, Vol. 4.1 “Posters and Communications.” In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the union, the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) is excited to present a glimpse of our history in the public exhibition From the AGSEM Archives: 30 Years of Graduate Student Labour Organizing at McGill. Building upon graduate student workers’ organizing efforts since the 1970s, AGSEM led a successful card-signing campaign in 1992 to become certified with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) in 1993, making it the first union of Teaching Assistants in Québec.

Structure

AGSEM’s highest decision-making body is the General Assembly, where every member has an equal vote and right to speak. TA General Assemblies (Unit 1), Invigilator General Assemblies (Unit 2), and Course-based Academic Casual Assemblies (Unit 3) make decisions related to their respective unit (i.e., ratifying a new Collective Agreement). The combined General Assembly elects Executives, amends the Constitution, and approves the budget. In between General Assemblies, the Delegates’ Council meets once a month to give mandates to the Executive Committee.