Librarians and archivists at McMaster University and Western University have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike mandates in their ongoing negotiations with their respective employers. The mandates authorize their leadership to call a strike if an equitable deal cannot be reached at the bargaining table.
At McMaster, a 92 per cent turnout yielded a 100 per cent vote in favour of a strike mandate. The employer is attempting to remove the right of academic librarians to participate in academic decision making, a move unacceptable to the McMaster University Academic Librarian’s Association (MUALA). Compensation also remains an impediment to a fair deal, as librarians and archivists at McMaster are among the lowest paid in Ontario.
MUALA is currently in conciliation, with the first meeting held on October 14, 2015.
At Western University, the librarian and archivist members of UWOFA voted 98 per cent in favour of a strike mandate for their bargaining team. UWOFA-LA will be in conciliation on October 27th and October 30th. Overall, UWOFA “remains hopeful a fair and equitable settlement can be reached through the conciliation process.”