The McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA) voted to accept a collective agreement with the McGill administration on Dec. 5. The union members had been on strike since Sept. 1, 2011 and had been without a labour contract since November 2010.

The five-year collective agreement was approved by 71.5 per cent of MUNACA members.

“The members read the agreement and were able to debate the main issues. Following a four-hour debate, they agreed to give the agreement their support,” Kevin Whittaker, president of MUNACA, said in a press release. “We are truly proud of the mobilization work by members since the start of the strike. Their motivation and determination were key to resolving this conflict.”

The agreement included a five year contract ending in November 2015, the gradual implementation of a salary scale by 2015, salary increases of between 8.6 per cent and 16 per cent during this period, and decision-making rights on the Pension and Benefits Committee.

“Being able to negotiate a five-year agreement instead of a three-year contract allowed us the necessary flexibility to both satisfy the Government of Quebec’s salary policy over the next three years, and meet many of the union’s demands,” Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration) Michael Di Grappa wrote in an email to students. “We are glad we were able to accomplish what we set out to do: negotiate a collective agreement that is fair, realistic, and sustainable in the context of the University’s financial situation.”

The strike left McGill University missing approximately half of its non-academic staff and as such, many university services were affected.

As the Winter 2012 semester begins, the McGill’s Strike Info for Students webpage reads, “While the strike is now over, many departments are facing backlogs and returning staff members need to get up to speed. Therefore, it will take some time for regular service levels to resume.”

–Kyla Mandel and Carolina Millán Ronchetti