Pay Equity Update
Under the Pay Equity Act, employers in Quebec with 10 or more employees must conduct a pay equity maintenance assessment every 5 years to ensure that employees in predominantly female job categories receive similar compensation to those in predominantly male job categories.
Research assistants at McGill are covered by this legislation and received salary increases following the 2010 and 2015 pay equity maintenance assessments. However, other unions at McGill filed complaints regarding those assessments and CNESST authorized McGill to postpone the 2020 exercise until those complaints were settled.
In November 2025, McGill requested further postponement of the 2020 exercise, along with the now-due 2025 assessment. CNESST denied the University’s request. McGill is now required to conduct the pay equity maintenance assessments for both 2020 and 2025 and intends to begin this exercise as soon as possible. We will keep AMURE members updated as the process moves forward. You can read more about the announcement here.
McGill’s Proposed Identification Policy
McGill is proposing a new Identification Policy to create a framework for requesting ID from anyone accessing any properties owned, occupied, or used by the University. In short, the University proposes to authorize various individuals, including campus security, faculty, and staff, to request identification for broadly-defined purposes related to safety, academic integrity, and policy enforcement. All students, staff, faculty, and visitors would be required to carry and present, upon request, McGill ID cards or government-issued ID. Those with face coverings could also be required to remove them for identification purposes. Feedback from the Senate is being sought prior to submitting the policy to the Board of Governors for approval.
The AMURE Board has discussed this proposed policy and its potential for misuse, including potential disproportional impacts on minorities, increased surveillance on campus, and possible effects on the rights to free expression and peaceful assembly. The Board has therefore voted to sign an Open Letter opposing the policy on behalf of AMURE. Members who wish to do so may also sign the Open Letter individually.
AMURE Tip of the Month: Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave
Understanding maternity, paternity & parental leave entitlements and benefits in Quebec and at McGill can be quite challenging. AMURE Communications has put together an extensive guide for its members, which can be accessed on our website. Please feel free to communicate with our President Sean Cory if you face any issues with your particular situation. Also, keep an eye out for an upcoming guide on the various types of sick leave available to McGill research employees.