Queen’s University has reportedly laid off four unionized workers. These layoffs come in the wake of recent discussions around the university’s projected $48M deficit. United Steelworkers Local 2010 President Kelly Orser stated that the union is considering filing grievances, adding that Queen’s current hiring freeze prevents laid off individuals from successfully entering the redeployment pool. “[I]f there are no jobs posted for them to apply for their pension, their benefits could be on the line,” said Orser. In a statement for Global News, Queen’s responded: “While there have been some job losses already and some positions remain unfilled in an effort to balance budgets in the short term, the longer-term outlook requires making careful and deliberate decisions about the use of our resources.”
