Steelworkers Local 1998 demands better treatment for casual (contract) workers at University of Toronto

TORONTO, October 22, 2021– (COMMERCIAL THREAD) – The United Steelworkers (USW) local 1998 will hold a press conference on Monday, October 25 to outline the priorities of its 3,500 casual (contract) workers as they prepare to negotiate contracts with the University of Toronto.

WHO:
– Colleen Burke, President of the 1998 Steelworkers Local
– Asmita Bhutani Vij, member of the Occasional Unit of the Steelworkers Local 1998 and employed for 2 years
– Scott Eldridge, United Steelworkers Local 1998 casual unit member and employed for 19 years
– Karen Hampson, casual unit member of the Steelworkers Local 1998 and employed for 6 years
– Dr Jesse McLaren, Emergency Physician and Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, Decent Work and Health Network

WHEN: Monday, October 25, 2021, 10 a.m.

OR: Steelworkers’ room, front lawn (exterior)
25 Cecil Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1N1

* Possibility to zoom. Please email Margaret.bucknam@usw1998.ca for the link.

Despite the important roles played by casual workers, the University of Toronto does not treat them as valuable labor, subjecting them to a revolving door of temporary work, with no paid sick leave or job security. In the next round of collective bargaining, workers will demand better treatment, including paid sick leave and a fair path to full-time employment.

The Steelworkers Local 1998 represents more than 8,000 administrative and technical workers from the schools of the University of Toronto, Victoria University, St. Michael’s College and University of Toronto, including the 3 500 casual contract workers, who are employed across all areas of the university in roles ranging from research assistants and IT professionals to student life officers, weight room attendants and standardized patients.

See the source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211022005312/en/

Contacts

Colleen Burke, President of Local 1998, Steelworkers, 647-883-2678, colleen.burke@usw1998.ca
Shannon Devine, Steelworkers Communications, 416-894-7118 (cell), sdevine@usw.ca