Strikers and supporting students at McMaster University in Hamilton. Photo: Diego Mendez

More than 170 food service workers are out on strike at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. The workers overwhelmingly voted to start picketing on Friday morning after rejecting the administration’s “settlement offer” the previous night.

“McMaster’s administration wants to turn our jobs at the University into ‘McJobs’,” said Joan Jones, a cafeteria worker and an university 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 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.

As picket lines were going up on Friday, the Hamilton Spectator reported 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 20-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!”

Diego Mendez is the national communications program coordinator for SEIU Local 2. This article first appeared in the strikers’ blog.