The University has been negotiating with the Building Union of Canada (BUC) for the past seven months. BUC represents 260 cleaners and skilled trades at McMaster.

The University has made several proposals to the union that increase wages for all members of the bargaining unit and provide all employees with wages above the living wage for Hamilton. The University remains committed to negotiating a fair and responsible contract.  Despite these efforts, a collective agreement has not been reached. On June 13, the union filed for conciliation, which is the first step in the process that would permit the employees to legally strike.

When negotiations began last fall, the University discussed with the union its contingency plan which included the potential to switch to an external contractor for cleaning services if a contract could not be reached through bargaining.

In a letter today, the University has informed the union and its employees that it will continue to make every effort to achieve a reasonable agreement through conciliation but that the contingency plan will be put in place should a deal not be reached.

Read the University’s letter to BUC and members of the bargaining unit here.