Unit members

You are a member of the teaching assistants unit if you perform, or have performed in the past year, any of the following tasks.

Teaching assistants often perform several of these tasks during the same session.

Includes laboratory and tutorial charges.

  • role: to ensure the smooth running of a practical work group
  • pay: per class, may include out-of-class work
  • role: to ensure that examination periods run smoothly and that the regulations are complied with
  • pay: per hour of presence at the examination room
  • role: correcting papers and exams
  • pay: per hour of correction

Note: generally, you sign a contract that stipulates the estimated number of correction hours. This number can be revised upwards! See the FAQ below: “I’ve received a correction contract, what happens if I exceed the allotted time?”

Includes tutoring.

  • role: answer questions during hands-on classes
  • payment: per class, does not include out-of-class work
  • role: to be in charge of an examination room and forward examination papers if necessary, in addition to supervision
  • pay: per hour worked (attendance at examination room + delivery of papers)
Contacts

Your work relations representative: assep.ae@gmail.com

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or issues!

Ongoing grievances and recent agreements
  • Agreement on increase in supervisory rate (chief)
  • In 2023, the minimum wage increase raised the hourly rate for exam invigilation, narrowing the gap with invigilation supervision. In 2024, we reached an amicable agreement with the employer to have the invigilation supervision rate re-evaluated to maintain the 4% differential originally provided for in the agreement.
Negotiations

Negotiations for the next collective agreement will begin in 2025. Your negotiating team has been elected on November 14, 2024: learn more on this page!

Excerpt from Appendix A on Wages – Current Rates

Since the minimum wage has been raised to $15.75 since May 1, 2024, the hourly rates for exam surveillance have been modified.

As part of the end-of-session exams organized by the registrar’s office, you will receive an e-mail inviting you to apply for invigilation. Be quick to respond!

You must have completed at least two (2) sessions in your Bac cycle to be eligible for supervision. If you do not receive this e-mail, and you have completed more than two (2) sessions in your Bac cycle, please contact us: assep.ae@gmail.com

You need to be able to explain the material in order to be considered for a teaching assignment. If there’s a course in your curriculum in which you’ve done well, don’t hesitate to speak directly with the course coordinator to express your interest in teaching a TP or TD.

You can also check the Polytechnique website to see if any positions remain unfilled before the start of a session.

According to the collective agreement (article 9.06), no work can begin before the contract has been signed. If you find yourself in this situation, write to your labour relations responsible without delay: assep.ae@gmail.com

Working outside the scope of an employment contract exposes you to a number of risks. In particular, if you have an accident while performing your duties, you are not covered by CNESST.

These situations shouldn’t happen, and our role is to make sure they don’t: we need your help to act!

The maximum waiting period, as stipulated in article 11.03 of our collective agreement, is four (4) weeks following the work performed. If this time limit has been exceeded, write to your labour relations manager without delay: assep.ae@gmail.com

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for this timeframe to be longer, particularly in the case of Supervisory tasks, due to the number of files to be processed. However, this is a circumstance that should not happen, and our role is to make sure that it does: we need you to act!

Any time spent on correction must be paid for. That’s why we recommend that you keep a record of the time you spend correcting. If the actual time spent exceeds the time allocated in the contract, you must request the extra time.

This request should go through the course coordinator or your department. If you need help, write to your labor relations responsible: assep.ae@gmail.com

Don’t miss out: the consequences are short-term for you, but also medium-term for the whole community, via the estimated correction time required on this course.

According to the collective agreement, a repetiteur is a student registered at Polytechnique and hired to “ensure a presence in class, at tutorial or laboratory sessions, or at the help and consultation center, in order to answer students’ questions, including on electronic forums.”

It should be noted that, unlike practical instructors, repeaters have no out-of-class working hours.

Yes, you’re a member as soon as you perform a paid task covered by the collective agreement (Practical Workload, Repetition, Correction, Invigitation and Supervision of Invigilation), regardless of the number of hours worked or your status.

Yes, you are a repeater within the meaning of the collective agreement.

Up to one year after receipt of your last pay cheque, generally one year after the end of your last contract. Even after the end of your contract, it’s perfectly normal – and desirable – for you to receive our communications 😊