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Dear CUPE 3906 members and the McMaster Community,
As you know from our consistent blog updates and from the McMaster Daily News, the CUPE 3906 bargaining team received a “best offer” package from the employer at 4:14 am, Saturday morning. Inexplicably, the “best offer” is actually several backward steps removed from the offer that they presented less than 10 hours shy of the strike deadline. On monetary issues, the most significant retreat was resetting benefits funding to 2006 collective agreement levels. This was countered by a paltry 5 cent per hour increase to the wage rate. In short, they made no effort to address the core issues of workload, benefits and access to positions for fifth-year doctoral students.
Since the strike deadline has passed and with the employer walking away from the table without acknowledging any of the issues our members clearly have identified as priorities, the bargaining team has had no choice but to ask the mediator to inform the employer that TAs are ready to withdraw their labour until a fair settlement is reached. Job action will begin at 8:00 am on Monday, 2 November 2009 and at that time, CUPE 3906 Unit #1 will be on strike.
The bargaining team has prepared a position document which reflects the current status of its proposals. To be sure, this document represents, in substance and in detail, the framework for the ultimate collective agreement. We invite members to study the document and compare it to the skeletal script the employer advertises. In order to give all members the fullest sense of the situation we anticipate an information meeting will be held on Sunday, 1 November 2009. The time and the location of the meeting will be announced on our website, on our blog and via email as soon as the space is finalized.
Sincerely,
The elected CUPE 3906 Bargaining
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