Queen's Grad Students Struck for Six Weeks Into Exam Season: What They Won
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jul 25, 2026 • Canadian Universities & Colleges, Canada Higher Ed News & Policy
Queen's University teaching and research assistants ended a nearly six-week strike on April 16, 2025 with a deal covering pay, child care and leave. The Queen's board of trustees ratified the contract on April 24, 2025.
💵 Wages rise 21.53% over three years: 3% retroactive to the start of 2025, then 2.25% plus a 12.86% market adjustment from May 1, 2025, then 2.25% more from May 1, 2026.
🏠 $110,000 goes into a new child care support fund for the union.
Each eligible member also gets a one-time $250 payment.
Sick leave, bereavement leave and gender-affirming care leave all improve.
Research assistants win recognition of their intellectual property rights.
What happened
PSAC Local 901, the union for Queen's University teaching assistants, research assistants and teaching fellows, walked off the job on March 10, 2025. It is believed to be the first academic strike in the university's history, per CBC News . Members said their pay sat below the poverty line for a city where rent keeps climbing.
The strike ran through the winter exam period, so undergraduates lost access to markers, lab supervisors and course support during the most demanding stretch of the term. Picket lines stayed up for close to six weeks while the university and the union negotiated a new collective agreement.
Why members walked out
PSAC 901 framed the walkout as a response to pay that had not kept pace with the cost of living in Kingston. Graduate workers hold two jobs at once by design: full-time students who also teach, grade and run labs on top of coursework and research. The union argued that stipend levels left members choosing between rent, food and the hours needed for their own degrees, and pushed for a contract that closed that gap rather than a token increase.
The pay deal
The new contract raises wages 21.53% across its three-year term. The breakdown, per CBC News :
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| Retroactive to the start of 2025 | 3% increase |
| May 1, 2025 | 2.25% increase plus a 12.86% market adjustment |
| May 1, 2026 | 2.25% increase |
By May 1, 2026, the standard hourly rate for a TA appointment reaches $50.00, per the same report. Members also received a one-time $250 lump sum payment when the deal was ratified.
Child care, leave and IP rights
The union secured $110,000 in new funding to support graduate workers with child care costs. The contract also improves sick leave, bereavement leave and gender-affirming care leave. Research assistants now have recognized intellectual property rights over the work they produce, addressing a gap the union raised during bargaining.
How the deal closed
PSAC 901 and Queen's reached a tentative agreement on April 16, 2025, and members voted to ratify it the next day. The university's board of trustees signed off on April 24, 2025, per Queen's University labour updates . Classes and exams resumed under the new terms, with the university working through rescheduled exams and delayed grades left over from the six-week disruption.
What it means if you study at Queen's
If tutorials, labs or grading at Queen's depend on teaching assistants, this contract sets the pay and support levels behind that work for the next three years. If you plan to work as a TA or RA at Queen's, use the wage table above, not older posted rates, when you budget your income. The contract runs through 2026, so treat the May 1, 2026 rate as the number to plan around for a TA or RA appointment that academic year, and check with the graduate school for the exact rate once your appointment level and hours are confirmed.