After a period of intensive bargaining (four days across two weeks), MUALA reached a tentative agreement with the Employer on Friday, May 10.  Overall, the tone at the table was collegial and productive and MUALA is very pleased to have made significant progress on all the issues identified by members in its bargaining mandate.

After presenting the details of the tentative collective agreement to members over the course of two information sessions, members voted to ratify the new agreement on Thursday, May 23. 

The Employer’s ratification process is currently underway and will culminate with McMaster’s Board of Governors Meeting on Thursday, June 6.  Once ratification is complete, the new collective agreement will be posted to the MUALA website, before coming into effect on August 1, 2024. 

This work could not have been completed without the tremendous effort of the MUALA Negotiations Committee and Bargaining Team, as well as external support from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) and the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).  Thank you all!

With the current Collective Agreement set to expire at the end of July, MUALA officially submitted its intent to bargain to the Employer on Tuesday, April 9.

At the Employer’s urging, the MUALA Bargaining Team has agreed to hold May 2, 8, 9, & 10 for collective bargaining.

Acknowledging the difficulty in co-ordinating both parties’ schedules, MUALA requested that an additional three days be held for bargaining later in May, in the event the two sides cannot reach agreement by May 10^th.  The Employer denied this request and re-affirmed their optimism that a tentative agreement can be reached within the four scheduled bargaining days.

MUALA is hopeful that this is an indication of the Employers’ willingness to table a fair and reasonable agreement that effectively address the significant inequities faced by McMaster librarians when compared with their peers within the province and the U15. 

As we work toward May 2 and beyond, MUALA will provide regular updates to members on important news and developments.  Important updates will also be posted to MUALA’s X (@MUALA_CA) and BlueSky (@MUALA) accounts.