MAG Summer Student Salary 2024?

[atelieranicca]

Hi folks!

Has anyone heard from MAG regarding the updated summer salary as of this year? I heard the collective agreement has amended the student salaries for 1L students and 2L students as of January 1, 2024 and I'm wondering if it'll be implemented as of the start of this summer. I haven't heard anything from the office I'll be summering at yet.

Thanks! 

[ZineZ]

8 minutes ago, atelieranicca said:

Hi folks!

Has anyone heard from MAG regarding the updated summer salary as of this year? I heard the collective agreement has amended the student salaries for 1L students and 2L students as of January 1, 2024 and I'm wondering if it'll be implemented as of the start of this summer. I haven't heard anything from the office I'll be summering at yet.

Thanks! 

For summer salaries - your best bet will be waiting until you start your summer employment and sign your final paperwork (unless there's open postings right now - then go check them). MAG can be notoriously disorganized for summer student start dates.

[atelieranicca]

12 minutes ago, ZineZ said:

For summer salaries - your best bet will be waiting until you start your summer employment and sign your final paperwork (unless there's open postings right now - then go check them). MAG can be notoriously disorganized for summer student start dates.

Thank you so much! That's really helpful to know - and definitely on brand for MAG, considering I've yet to receive my written offer letter..

[LMP]

Are they actually paying a living wage now? 

[Kibitzer]

See link for announcement of new salaries: https://opseu.org/news/ops-unified-members-win-big-at-wage-reopener-table/210646/

Effective January 1, 2024 the new salaries are:

• First Year Law Student $26.52
• Second Year Law Student $29.75

This is a substantial increase. Previously 1L salary was approximately $16.73 and 2L salary was approximately $18.96.

According to the award "First and second year law students have not had a change in their wages since 1999 (other than the 1% wage increases already negotiated for 2022, 2023 and 2024)."

Regarding implementation, even by MAG standards, I would be shocked if it is not in place by the time you start. Salaries are effective January 1st, 2024. Further, there is no issue with having to issue a bunch of retro payments because currently there are no (or only a handful) of 1L/2L students working. Therefore, there is less to process. 

9 hours ago, LMP said:

Are they actually paying a living wage now? 

Slightly less laughable now 

 

[ZineZ]

17 minutes ago, Kibitzer said:

See link for announcement of new salaries: https://opseu.org/news/ops-unified-members-win-big-at-wage-reopener-table/210646/

Effective January 1, 2024 the new salaries are:

• First Year Law Student $26.52
• Second Year Law Student $29.75

This is a substantial increase. Previously 1L salary was approximately $16.73 and 2L salary was approximately $18.96.

According to the award "First and second year law students have not had a change in their wages since 1999 (other than the 1% wage increases already negotiated for 2022, 2023 and 2024)."

Regarding implementation, even by MAG standards, I would be shocked if it is not in place by the time you start. Salaries are effective January 1st, 2024. Further, there is no issue with having to issue a bunch of retro payments because currently there are no (or only a handful) of 1L/2L students working. Therefore, there is less to process. 

Slightly less laughable now 

 

Oh wow, this is a HUGE win in terms of the OPS. 

The articling wages are reasonable - but for some godforsaken reason, the OPS does a terrible job of trying to attract and retain summer students. I'm glad that they're finally making things better 

[LMP]

Massive step up, if a little belated. This move alone has probably made MAG a viable option for a lot of otherwise disenfranchised students. 

[ZineZ]

25 minutes ago, LMP said:

Massive step up, if a little belated. This move alone has probably made MAG a viable option for a lot of otherwise disenfranchised students. 

100%. I had mentees who were really interested in joining the OPS but didn't go down that path specifically because of how hard it is to live on the summer wages. It's hard to encourage someone to join the public service when the difference in summer salaries is that much compared to the private sector. 

[Kurapika]

10 hours ago, ZineZ said:

For summer salaries - your best bet will be waiting until you start your summer employment and sign your final paperwork (unless there's open postings right now - then go check them). MAG can be notoriously disorganized for summer student start dates.

I got my offer letter for a MAG summer student position in mid January and the rate of pay was still $18.77 an hour. Would it be ok to reach out to inquire about the updated rate of pay or do you think I should just wait until the summer?

[atelieranicca]

3 minutes ago, Kurapika said:

I got my offer letter for a MAG summer student position in mid January and the rate of pay was still $18.77 an hour. Would it be ok to reach out to inquire about the updated rate of pay or do you think I should just wait until the summer?

I don't see any harm in reaching out to inquire now to get some clarity - I did the same as well!

[ZineZ]

3 minutes ago, Kurapika said:

I got my offer letter for a MAG summer student position in mid January and the rate of pay was still $18.77 an hour. Would it be ok to reach out to inquire about the updated rate of pay or do you think I should just wait until the summer?

Honestly, this is entirely your choice. MAG is pretty good about handling issues related to salaries and your Branch's HR person will help make sure that everything is tidied up when you join. In the case of the place I summered and articled, our HR person would go out of her way to make sure we got all the benefits we were entitled to/that could make our lives easier. 

If you'd like to handle it in advance - do so! But I don't think there'll be any harm if you wait for summer if you want to do so. 

[LMP]

5 hours ago, ZineZ said:

100%. I had mentees who were really interested in joining the OPS but didn't go down that path specifically because of how hard it is to live on the summer wages. It's hard to encourage someone to join the public service when the difference in summer salaries is that much compared to the private sector. 

One of my offers was from MAG and a branch I really wanted to work at. But I just couldn't justify literally losing money for a summer. I might be in a very different place right now if this had happened two years ago.