Society of Graduate Students (SOGS)
Your Graduate Student Advocacy Organization and Government at Western University
Motions
The Board of Directors approved the following motions:
Motions
The Board of Directors approved the following motions:
New Business:
Orders of the Day – December 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Graduate Students at Western University to Host 2025 Ontario Election Candidates Debate
London, ON – The Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) Sustainability Committee at Western University is proud to host a 2025 Ontario provincial election candidates debate for the London North Centre riding. This important discussion will take place on Thursday, February 20th, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM in Middlesex College, Room 105B at Western University.
As the Ontario provincial election approaches on February 27, this debate will provide students and community members an opportunity to hear directly from candidates about their policies and plans for addressing key student concerns, including the cost of living and environmental sustainability.
Confirmed participants include:
The Conservative Party candidate, Jerry Pribil, declined the invitation to participate.
This debate is organized entirely by graduate students at Western University, who are also preparing the questions for discussion. The session will be moderated by SOGS President Cherin Chung and is open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with candidates and gain insights into their platforms ahead of election day.
For media inquiries, please contact Ehsan at mrahm326@uwo.ca
✊ On Saturday, July 17th, our President, Cherin Chung, and our Membership Services Manager, Jessica Reilly, braved the rainstorm and showed our support for CUPE 2361 members – caretaking, landscape services and trades workers at Western University! Cherin delivered a short speech of solidarity at the rally and community lunch.
🤔 Why care about a possible CUPE 2361 strike?
Firstly, without these incredible folks, #WesternU campus would not be clean or safe. Secondly, one of the complaints CUPE 2361 has with the employer is chronic understaffing, high workloads, and low wages. The problem: There are not enough support staff to provide high-quality services in residences, classrooms, offices, labs and washrooms. SOGS expects fair wages and safe working conditions for our community friends and sister unions.
To best support CUPE 2361, consider sending a message to Western’s administration in support of the workers who keep the campus running. Tell them to negotiate a fair deal that reflects the rising cost of living and substantial gap in wages. ✊🏾📢
In response, the SOGS Executive Committee sent a letter of solidarity to key WesternU admin, including President Allan Shepard. Read the letter.
Dear SOGS members,
On Monday, April 15th, the SOGS executive send a letter of solidarity regarding the PSAC 610 Graduate Teaching Assistant strike to upper administration at Western University. Please read the letter below.
Dear Dr. Shepard and the Western leadership team,
The Society’s team is closely monitoring the ongoing labour strike by PSAC 610’s Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) membership. GTAs represent a significant portion of SOGS members and we stand in solidarity with all of our members.
The SOGS Executive acknowledge Western’s proposal of a 2% annual increase to GTA wages; however, we are concerned that this figure represents a lack of commitment by university administration to ensure teaching assistants thrive and live above poverty level during a time of economic crisis. We fully support PSAC 610’s additional demands for a more financially secure graduate student experience.
SOGS advocates for livable wages for all academic workers. We expect Western to offer significant increases to GTA hourly wages beyond 2% per year in order to show a clear commitment to the wellbeing of teaching assistants and graduate students.
Furthermore, the SOGS executive are deeply concerned with the University’s recent announcement of a 2.5% rent increase in student residences—a rate that falls below the proposed pay increase for Teaching Assistants, and during a time of economic crisis. We urge Western leaders to reconsider what it means to provide GTAs with not only wages that reflect our economic times, but also sufficient additional supports. Lifting GTAs out of financial precarity would enable thousands of graduate students to continue to effectively support Western’s operations and communities while continuing to produce top-tier research that enhances the university’s global standing and reputation.
A collaborative and supportive resolution to this strike will benefit not only GTAs, but also the broader campus community and the City of London, both of which are currently experiencing significant disruptions, including increased traffic and altered public transportation routes.
In solidarity,
SOGS Executive
Sent Via Email on Monday, October 16, 2023
Dear President Shepard, Vice-President Logan, Associate Vice-President Konowalchuk, Associate Vice-President O’Brien, Associate Vice-President Challadurai,
RE: Strike of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 772
As representatives of more than 6,900 graduate students at Western University, the SOGS Executive Committee is writing to you to express our deep concerns regarding the ongoing strike of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 772 – a union of 13 operational engineers that keep Western University not only safe, but warm. This strike, which commenced on October 12, 2023, resulted from a failure of the university to negotiate in good faith with IUOE Local 772 regarding its Collective Agreement. This has also resulted in the injury of 3 people on picket lines.
Our concern is twofold: 1) by failing to negotiate in good faith, operating engineers cannot achieve pay equity or safe working conditions and 2) this strike disrupts bus access to campus impacting more than 43,000 students. As a student union that advocates for equity for students, the SOGS Executive Committee expects pay equity to be a top priority for Western University, especially in light of the recent ruling by the Ontario Superior Court that deemed Bill 124 – the Sustainable Public Sector Act – unconstitutional. Engineers across the province have been receiving yearly increases of between three and six percent, making it evident that the members of Local 772 have been faced with inadequate wages that are not competitive with market rates or industry standards in Canada.
Local 772 faces persistent staffing shortages and existing workers are being burdened with increased responsibilities. It is crucial to highlight that Local 772 has not sought an increase in benefits, premiums, or pensions, despite not seeing any adjustments for the last five years. This fact demonstrates a commitment to good-faith negotiations while advocating for fair wages.
The strike’s impacts resonate deeply within our SOGS membership. With all 11 LTC routes disrupted, and LTC buses unable to cross picket lines, our members now must walk from main roads to access the campus. For some of our members, this presents significant accessibility issues, making Western University an inaccessible campus.
We stand in solidarity with IUOE Local 772 and their quest for fair compensation. We urge Western’s administration to value and respect the important work carried out by operating engineers at Western University by providing better working conditions and equitable pay that aligns with engineers in the province.
It is our sincere hope that the University will engage in good faith bargaining with IUOE Local 772, with the ultimate aim of reaching a resolution that is fair and equitable for all parties involved. We hope our concerns are conveyed and urge Western’s administration to prioritize this issue for the benefit and safety of the entire community.
We look forward to a swift resolution and a return to normalcy for our graduate students.
Sincerely,
SOGS 2023-24 Executive Committee
Waliu Alaka, President | Elizabeth Mohler, Vice-President Academic | Cherin Chung, Vice-President Advocacy | Sairam Gavajelli, Vice-President Finance | Kesavi Kanagasabai, Vice-President Student Services