Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The following provides information for striking or locked out employees.
With the decision to call a strike, the union has decided that its bargaining unit members will stop working and withdraw their services.
As a general rule, all pay and any benefits that are provided as a result of bargaining unit members working, are suspended for the period of the strike.
Strike Information
Yes. Employees may exercise their rights, which may include participating or not participating in a lawful strike. An employee whose union is on strike who exercises a right to continue working may request reinstatement to active employment through their manager using the Request to Work during Strike form. An employee has the option to complete and submit the form to their manager at any time, including prior to the strike deadline; however, reinstatement only occurs post-strike deadline.
For reinstatement:
- The employee contacts their manager.
- The form is completed by the employee and their manager.
- The manager submits the form to hrcst@queensu.ca.
Pay, benefits, and NetID access will be reinstated to the employee once the form has been received and processed. Managers are responsible for ensuring all other access, including building access, is reinstated.
No. Striking is a legal right, and employees cannot be reprimanded for participating in a legal strike. A legal strike can occur 17 days after the Minister of Labour issues a no board with respect to a specific bargaining unit. Supervisors, and any other University personnel, cannot discipline or impose any negative repercussions on employees before, during or after engaging in a legal strike as a result of their participation in a legal strike. į
Yes, striking employees can participate in picketing; however, it’s important to understand what picketers legally can and cannot do. į
- During a strike, picketers are legally permitted to:
- Picket on public property
- Carry signs and hand out materials stating the nature of the dispute
- Speak about their concerns, but it is up to you whether or not to engage in such discussion
- Picketers are expected to allow people and cars to keep moving and allow passage, though there may be delays when crossing a picket line
However, picketers are not legally permitted to:
- Blockade roads, sidewalks, passageways or other entrances to or exits from the university
- Use force, threats or threatening gestures
- Trespass to interfere with employees who wish to work, by force or to use threats or moral pressure amounting to compulsion
- Engage in unlawful behaviour
- Picket on university property
Yes, you are legally entitled to remain in Canada for the duration of the strike period and up until your work permit expires. If you are on maintained status, you can legally remain in Canada while you are waiting for your renewed work permit. į
Access and Pay
No. Bargaining unit members will not receive any retroactive payments for the period they are on strike. į
All parking lots will remain open, and the university will provide appropriate security during the legal strike / lock-out period.
Parking permits will not be suspended for legally striking or locked-out employees. Any missed payments during the period of a labour disruption will be handled in one of two ways: į
- For employees who pay for parking via payroll deductions, parking will be deducted from any partial pays, or through the payroll arrears process once the employees have returned to work.
OR
- For employees who pay for parking permits via monthly bank withdrawals, those withdrawals will continue throughout the strike / lock-out period. į If an employee does not want to continue to pay for their parking permit, they can return it to the Commuter Services (Parking) Office. The employee will then have the option to rejoin the parking permit wait list. į
NetID access will be suspended for striking or locked-out employees, unless in instances where an employee has a concurrent other appointment (e.g. as a casual appointment) and continues to perform responsibilities under that other appointment.
Bargaining unit members using VOIP would lose telephone and Teams calling access once NetIDs are suspended.
Departmental paid lines will remain active.
Striking / locked-out bargaining unit members will be responsible for reimbursing the department for charges incurred during the labour disruption period, or they can turn in their phone and the Department can suspend the line.
For personal QMobile lines, payments will continue via payroll deductions and/or processed via the credit cards on file should charges exceed available payroll amounts. į
For striking bargaining unit members, building access will be withdrawn using the access control system by the building manager. For buildings with key access, keys will be collected by the relevant department the business day before the strike deadline.
Conversely, an employee with another appointment who continues to perform the responsibilities of the other appointment would continue to have required building access.
No. Picketing may take place on public property only. In the event of a strike, no picketing will be permitted on University property.
Employees can access their T4s through .
Please note, due to CRA’s technical issues, you may not yet see your 2024 T4 when logging into CRA My Account. They are working on this issue and will post as soon as possible.
˴Ƭ Leave Time
Bargaining unit members who are already on an approved sick leave prior to a legal strike/lock out commencing would continue to be eligible to receive paid sick leave.
Striking employees who become ill on or after the first day of a legal strike would not receive sick pay. į
General stress related to a strike is normal and not grounds for medical leave. Our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider, TELUS Health One, offers confidential, professional, and personalized wellness services that are available to employees and family members, 24/7. Visit Get Help to learn more.
Bargaining unit members who are already on approved pregnancy/parental leave prior to the commencement of a legal labour disruption would continue on their approved leave until the end of the approved pregnancy/parental leave.
Striking employees whose leave is scheduled to start after a legal strike commences would be able to commence their leave but would not be eligible for pregnancy/parental leave top-up benefit for the duration of the strike. į
A bargaining unit member who is on strike and has approved vacation scheduled during the strike will have their vacation cancelled. Employees who have had their vacation cancelled for this reason are entitled to receive payout of their vacation pay or, if preferred, will have the option to reschedule their vacation once the work stoppage ends and as operational needs permit. The maximum vacation payout available is limited to the number of days of scheduled and approved vacation. Payout of vacation would be paid on the next applicable pay date once the work stoppage ends.
Bargaining unit members who are already on an approved vacation when a work stoppage commences would remain on “vacation status” until the scheduled end of their vacation.
Any entitlement to other paid leave, such as bereavement, jury duty/court service, personal leave, etc. would cease to apply at the commencement of a strike for striking employees.
No. Pensionable service does not accrue during a legal strike.