Below is the official press release from McMaster Food Service Workers who went on strike today. I am in full support of their strike and think it is ridiculous how nobody tunes into the reoccurring injustices at McMaster and focus, instead, on how 'annoying it is to be delayed access to campus.'
McMaster refers to students as clients, making it very clear that they are first and foremost a business and an educational institution after that. This business makes an incredible amount of money yearly off of spikes in tuition and administrative fees, yet it is never allocated appropriately.
Peter George had a 1.2 million dollar retirement dinner last year... more than enough money to cover the wages being fought for during the entire T.A strike last year, T.A's being a vital part of a well-rounded education are clearly secondary to a ritzy dinner.
Food Service Workers, who are predominantly immigrants, are being stripped of wages, benefits, sick days and vacation making it impossible to provide for a family on this wage... yet some how $13,000.00 is justifiable in Australian flight expenses for Peter George's wife.
Ridiculous, and embarassing.
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MEDIA RELEASE
McMaster Food Service Workers on Strike, Stand Up
for Good Jobs for Working Families in Hamilton
Picket lines go up Friday morning chanting “No McJobs at McMaster”
HAMILTON- More than 170 workers are out on strike this morning as picket lines have gone up
at McMaster University. Food service workers overwhelmingly voted to go on strike last night
after rejecting the administration’s “Settlement Offer”.
“McMaster’s administration wants to turn our jobs at the University into ‘McJobs’,” said Joan
Jones, a cafeteria worker and an employee of 24 years. “Low-wage jobs, no benefits, no job
security, and no future. Hamilton’s working families have had enough of that.”
The administration’s final offer included a complete gutting of job security provisions which
currently provide for some full time jobs with benefits to workers at the University, many of
whom have 20 or more years of service. Workers say if such a proposal were accepted, they
could all be laid-off the next day with no recourse, and then be replaced by or rehired as
“casual” minimum wage workers.
“As a respected institution in the Hamilton community, McMaster should lead by example,” said
cook Allan Wong, an eight-year employee. “The school’s Mission Statement says ‘We serve the
social, cultural, and economic needs of our community and society.’ The administration is
turning its back on Hamiltonians by trying to turn decent work into poverty-wage jobs.”
In addition to threatening employees’ current jobs, the administration is seeking rollbacks, including
reductions in sick leave, vacation entitlements, and expensive co-pays for benefits which would
greatly reduce take-home pay for employees, many of whom are single mothers.
“They’re demanding the lowest paid workers on campus subsidize senior administration’s
exorbitant spending habits,” said Ted Mansell, the Union’s chief negotiator.
- MORE –
As picket lines were going up this morning, the Hamilton Spectator reports McMaster’s previous
president submitted nearly $30,000 in expenses for a one-week conference in Australia, including
over $13,000 first class airfare to fly with his wife. The Spectator was able to acquire the
information after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The FOI request also revealed that in a
twenty month period between 2006 and 2008, the president claimed more than $200,000 in
expenses with another $180,000 claimed by McMaster’s five vice-presidents.
Both union and “casual” employees work in food services, or Hospitality Services as it’s called at
McMaster. The casual (non-union) workers were historically used to fill in as temporary workers to
help with peak periods and staff vacation and sick leaves. However business is booming to the
point where casual employees, who earn minimum wage and have no benefits, now outnumber
unionized staff.
“Instead of providing all workers in food services with decent paying jobs, the administration is
determined to ‘casualize’ the entire workforce,” said Wong. “We are long-term employees with
mortgages and families to feed.”
“It’s an outrage that these fat-cat administrators are asking hard-working families for concessions
to subsidize their own extravagant spending” said Mansell. “There is no justification for the
administration’s demands when six top administrators recently burned through nearly $400,000 in
expenses in a year and half.” In addition to the spending, the Union says food service operations
at McMaster are profitable.
“Nobody likes to have to go out on strike and put up picket lines,” said Jones, “but working families
in Hamilton can’t afford to lose any more good jobs. The food service workers are taking a stand to
say enough is enough. No McJobs at McMaster!”
