McMaster teaching, research assistants ratify 5-year deal

Teaching assistants and research assistants have returned to work at McMaster University.

They are back on the job after voting to ratify an agreement that includes wage increases of 14.1 per cent over the length of the five-year deal for graduate teaching and research assistants, and 21.7 per cent for undergraduate teaching assistants.

CUPE says the agreement was ratified by just under 70 per cent of members, who voted on Tuesday.

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McMaster’s board of governors is expected to approve the deal when it meets Thursday.

The tentative agreement was announced on Saturday, ending a three-week strike by the university’s 2,800 teaching and research assistants.

“We didn’t get everything we wanted, like fifth-year funding for PhD students or tuition reimbursement,” said Shalen Prado, vice-president of CUPE Local 3906, “but with the amount of solidarity the university community showed us, I know we’re in a better position today than ever.”

Susan Tighe, McMaster provost and vice-president academic, said having all TAs and RAs back in their roles is an “important milestone.”