We received the below statements from individuals in three different Science departments, who initially were skeptical about the necessity of an academic union in the Faculty of Science, but ultimately decided it was needed. They are from individuals who have come to realize that the university today is not run the way it was 15 years ago, and that it is in our interest as academics to respond to how things actually are rather than how they were, and thereby move them toward how we wish for them to be.
When I joined McGill, I was actually happy that academics were not unionized. I have had bad experiences with unions in the past. Back then, things were certainly not perfect at McGill but there were mechanisms for reforms which were collegial in nature. Unfortunately, I can no longer say that of the McGill of 2026. Efforts to corporatize McGill have resulted in massive increases in admin staff with a limited and possibly degraded level of support for faculty members. The situation is not unique to McGill and has happened throughout North America. What is unique to McGill, though, is the fact that professors have no level of representation in that situation. In the current context, MAUT has lost any possible leverage. I have come to the conclusion that the only mechanism to regain our voice, and frankly a seat at the table, is through a union. Looking around at other institutions, I realize that unions can be agents of change and bring positive outcomes for the people they represent. This is what changed my mind. We did not choose the erosion of collegiality. But faced with it, we can salvage what we love about this place.
I joined AMPS after considerable reflection. I have been a MAUT member for a long time and served on Council. For many years, I hoped that a strong faculty association could protect faculty interests through meaningful consultation, without the need for formal unions. In the past year, I have concluded that this is not possible.
I joined AMPS because collective bargaining offers leverage, transparency, and accountability. As the Canadian Prime Minister recently remarked in another context, if you are not at the table, you are on the menu. This is precisely why I now support AMPS.
While I have been, and remain, critical of unions, I have grown increasingly frustrated with the way that McGill approaches our salary, professional development funds, retirement, and administrative support. While I really appreciate, endorse, and love the merit system, I think it should be a true bonus and not a necessity for the salary to track inflation.
As a scientist, my take on problems is to try different approaches to find a solution if the current approach is not working. For this reason I decided to join AMPS, in the hopes that this will strengthen our position in discussions with McGill’s administration on how to improve working conditions for all, and for McGill to remain an attractive place to do research.