McMaster Support Staff Strike Looms...
Come September 4th, over 2,200 support staff at McMaster may be going on
strike. If this happens, students can expect long lines, shortened hours, and delays from Faculty Offices, The Registrar's Office, The Financial Aid Office, UTS (which runs SOLAR, MUGSI, etc) and all other important support services such as the Librarys and Titles Bookstore. Students driving into campus can also expect delays entering as there will most likely be a lineup as cars are slowed down through the picket lines. Classes will
still be on and as regularly scheduled. The school will remain open.
For those who are unaware of the situation, or haven't seen the
forum discussion, the university is wanting to phase out the Pension Plan for new employees and replace it with a Group RRSP plan. Read McMaster's
Employer Fact Sheet here, or the Local 555's
FAQ sheet here. The CAW, Local 555 Unit 1 (which is the Union representing the support workers) believes the plan the University is proposing is not a good deal. The Union had an internal vote and were in favor of a
strike if the University did not make a better offer. The University made a
final offer on August 20th, which still called for the abolishment of the Pension Plan. The Local 555 rejected the final offer and have
their own proposal. The University now wants to have the Union members individually vote to see whether they personally reject or accept the offer. Even though the Union would like to
strike, the University can request a member vote. This vote will most likely take place, according to The Hamilton Spectator, on Wednesday or Thursday. The Local 555 came to an agreement with the university to shift the potential
strike date from September 1st to September 4th. If the members choose to say no to the offer and bring the University back to the bargaining table, a
strike will likely happen on September 4th.
Hamilton Spectator Article (Aug 26)
Daily News Article (Aug 26)