After a long and challenging period of bargaining, a tentative agreement was reached between the McMaster University Academic Librarians’ Association and the employer early the morning hours of Nov 14^th 2015. In a vote that closed Nov 19^th, the members of MUALA voted in favour of ratifying the agreement. Details of the agreement will be made available once the ratification process is complete.

Throughout the bargaining process, the membership remained committed, consistently showing their strong support of the bargaining team and the actions taken towards achieving an agreement. The team and the membership were bolstered by the rallying support of other unions and associations as demonstrated through meaningful letters, blog posts, emails, tweets, and calls.

Thank you. We are grateful for all that you did and honoured to be part of such a community.

MUALA Executive and Bargaining Team

The Ryerson Faculty Association (RFA) wrote McMaster’s President to reinforce the importance of librarians in the academic process, and to encourage a fair and equitable agreement. We thank them for taking the time to write on our behalf.

View all of the letters of support

The Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians (CAPAL/ACBAP) send their support to MUALA in the form of a letter to McMaster’s President. Their strong letter of support is appreciated by the membership.

View all of the letters of support

After four days of conciliation, the McMaster University Academic Librarians’ Association (MUALA) has asked the Conciliator for a “No Board” report placing the Association in a legal strike position in November.

The Association is disappointed that talks are breaking down.

“We are very frustrated in the Employer’s aggressive bargaining tactics and their disregard for the crucial role our members play in the Universities’ teaching and research success. Our members very much want to be working with students and supporting faculty research rather than walking the picket line,” says MUALA President Laura Banfield.

On October 9th, 94% of the membership voted unanimously (100%) in favour of a strike mandate. With the request for a no-board, the MUALA Executive will now be in a position to call for a strike 17 days after the Ministry issues the report.

The University and the Academic Librarians began bargaining in June of this year and many significant issues related to academic rights and responsibilities, career advancement, benefits and compensation remain outstanding.

“McMaster has tabled a wage increase that is far below inflation and less than what others have received, and is trying to cut the merit pay that was agreed to in the last round. This is about equity and fairness,” says Banfield. “We remain hopeful that the Employer will return to the table with a reasonable offer so that a deal can be reached before our strike deadline”.

MUALA represents Academic Librarians who work at McMaster University’s University Library and Health Sciences Library. Academic Librarians, who are required to hold advanced academic credentials, play an integral role at research universities. Their responsibilities include: support for research and teaching; the preservation, collection and provision of scholarly materials; and, involvement in independent scholarly activity.

Contact: Laura Banfield, MUALA President, mualapresident@gmail.com
For more information visit the MUALA Website: www.muala.ca

Press Release – McMaster Librarians – Nov 3 2015