Sid Ryan, CUPE Ontario President and Janice Folk-Dawson, Chair of the Ontario University Workers’ Coordinating Committee (OUWCC) led a strong solidarity rally, on May 5, 2008, for sessional faculty and sessional music faculty, members of CUPE 3906, who are seeking a fair and equitable contract from McMaster University.
“McMaster must move out of the dark ages and join the 21st century,” said Ryan. “This administration needs to treat their own faculty staff with respect and address issues of equity, parity and job security.”
McMaster’s sessional faculty members are among the lowest paid in the University sector and they are denied the same benefits, including maternity leave, family dental and medical benefits, that McMaster support staff and full-time faculty are entitled to.
“U of T, Guelph and now McMaster are not respecting the workers that make our universities work,” said Dawson. “We are committed to stopping the concession demands and casualization of workers by university management in bargaining and will continue our coordinated efforts to fight back and make gains for workers in our sector.”
OUWCC members from York, Brock, Guelph and U of T joined the rally and reaffirmed their commitment to support CUPE 3906 in their struggle to gain a fair and equitable contract. Conciliation talks are scheduled to begin May 20, 2008.