Employment Practice Living Wage
Whether with full-time permanent employees, Faculty Association members, or the TMG Management Group—we carefully factor in the current cost of living in all of our negotiations. For context, Hamilton living wage for 2022 which was in place for calendar year 2023 was $19.05 CAD. McMaster has recently increased wages, ensuring that all staff and faculty covered by the Unifor agreement earn above the living wage (see page 49 of the agreement). The same is true for our hospitality workers (see page 39 of the hospitality agreement). Comprehensive wage details for all collective agreements can be easily found on the HR webpage.
In keeping with the University’s pay for performance philosophy, The Management Group (TMG) employees at McMaster undergo annual salary reviews (page 6).
McMaster University employees are represented by several bargaining units, each associated with one of five different union partners.. The university provides a transparent and accessible list of unions and collective agreements for public reference. McMaster is committed to building constructive relationships with all employees including equity deserving groups and the bargaining agents that represent them.
Employment Policy on Discrimination
McMaster University’s Discrimination and Harassment policy, last updated in 2022, undergoes regular reviews and revisions. Similarly, our Employment Equity policy—updated last year—aims to identify and address systemic employment discrimination, reinforcing our dedication to fair and equitable practices. The university is committed to maintaining the policies, resources, and organizational structures needed to create an environment free from discrimination and harassment.
McMaster University is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community in which every community member is accepted as a whole person worthy of belonging, is safe, valued, and respected for their contributions to the shared purpose of the University: the discovery, communication, and preservation of knowledge.
Inclusion and belonging occur when systems and structures protect the safety and rights of all individuals and groups, facilitate full participation in the community, and ensure equitable opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute.
Employment Equity is a dynamic and iterative process that, through the collection and analysis of data, identifies, addresses and mitigates barriers in employment systems, procedures and policies and that:
- Fundamentally recognizes every individual as a whole person worthy of belonging
- Pursues equity of opportunity
- Strives for the full and active participation of the best and brightest workforce representative of the diversity in the labour market
The Purpose of the Employment Equity program is to:
- Collect, analyze and report on workforce data to track progress in achieving representation of Designated Group (See Note 1) members in the spirit of both the University’s Employment Equity policy and the Workplace Equity Program
- Make efforts, where Designated Groups are under-represented, to achieve representation, including specific recommendations for action to be undertaken by senior administrators
- Address and mitigate systemic discrimination by identifying and removing barriers in employment policies, systems, practices and procedures
- Implement Special Measures and Accommodations to enable members of Designated Groups to compete on an equitable basis for employment opportunities
- Provide employees with training in the meaning and application of Employment Equity
- Pursue other initiatives to address ongoing systemic and structural gaps as identified by the University Administration (for example, develop employment equity resources, guidelines for hiring).
Note 1: Designated Groups are people who have historically faced, and continue to face, barriers in the labour market. The Employment Equity Act identifies these groups as First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples; Racialized Persons; Persons with Disabilities; and Women. In addition, McMaster University also recognizes Persons of the 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Pansexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and other related identities) Community in Employment Equity strategies.
Employment Equity in Collective Agreements
The parties affirm that Employment Equity is a key part of progress towards inclusivity in the employment relationship and that the hiring process shall reflect this affirmation. The University encourages applications from all qualified candidates including women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons), members of racialized communities and 2SLGBTQ+ identified persons.
The Equity & Inclusion Office and Human Resources Services, in close collaboration with equity-deserving communities and key partners work together to deliver a wide-range of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion training at McMaster University.
Below is an overview of current programming and resources available for faculty and staff:
- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Fundamentals
- The EDIA Fundamentals module is a 5-part module designed to provide students, staff, and faculty at McMaster with an accessible and open access opportunity to learn about EDIA, Anti-Racism, and Anti-Oppression. Each “part” is thematically organized to contain a mixture of narrative, video, and audio-narrated slide deck content, with activities to ground your learning in a flexible and digestible fashion.
- Diversity Counts Video Series
- The Diversity Counts Video Series explores the real experiences of McMaster faculty and staff and their perspectives on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. These open and honest conversations dive into their own personal journey with inclusive experiences at McMaster, why it is important and what more can be done.
Employment Policy Modern Slavery
McMaster University is committed to upholding all applicable federal and provincial laws regarding human rights, including the prohibition of forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labor. This includes full compliance with Ontario’s Prevention and Remedies for Human Trafficking Act. Our recently updated Employment Equity Policy further ensures that we adhere to the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and other relevant legislation.
The University’s policies, directives and procedures respecting human resources apply to all University employees unless stated otherwise. Please note that bargaining unit employees are also subject to their applicable collective agreements. Where any policy, directive or procedure respecting human resources contradicts the term(s) of the applicable collective agreement, the collective agreement governs.
McMaster complies with all federal and provincial legislation regarding human rights and the prohibition of forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour including Ontario’s prevention and remedies for human trafficking act.
Employment practice equivalent rights outsourcing
McMaster University upholds a strong framework of internal policies and ensures compliance with both provincial and federal legislation to safeguard workers’ rights. These protections extend to all outsourcing activities involving third parties. Our policies, including the Strategic Procurement Policy, guarantee that any work conducted with third parties aligns with the University’s ethical standards, employment standards, operates efficiently, and supports its educational, research, and service missions.
Living Wage (page 5)
University Suppliers and Subcontractors shall pay employees wages and benefits that comply with, or better, all applicable laws and regulations, and which provide for essential needs and constitute a dignified living wage for workers and their families. In many countries a dignified living wage is often most effectively determined through free collective bargaining. In the absence of free collective bargaining, a living wage is calculated based on a take home or net wage, earned during a country’s standard work week (excluding overtime), but not more than 48 hours. A living wage provides for the basic needs (housing, energy, nutrition, clothing, health care, education, potable water, child care, transportation, and savings) of an average family unit of employees in the relevant employment sector of the country divided by the average number of adult wage earners in the family unit of employees in the relevant employment sector of the country.
Child Labour (page 6)
There shall be no new use of child labour and all current child labour shall be subject to Section III.B.4.ii. The term “child” means any person less than 15 (or 14 if local law sets minimum employment age at 14 consistent with developing country exemptions under the ILO Minimum Age Convention 16), unless local laws stipulate a higher age for work or mandatory schooling, in which case the higher age shall apply.
Forced Labour (page 6)
There shall not be any use of forced prison labour, indentured labour, bonded labour or other forced labour.
Nondiscrimination (page 7)
No person shall be subject to any discrimination in employment, including hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, political opinion or affiliation, union activity, social or ethnic origin.
Harassment or Abuse (page 7)
Every employee shall be treated with dignity and respect. No employee shall be threatened by or subject to any physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal harassment or abuse. University Suppliers and Subcontractors shall neither use nor tolerate any form of corporal punishment. All cases of discipline shall be thoroughly documented.
Collective Bargaining and Freedom of Association (page 7)
University Suppliers and Subcontractors shall recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association, and the right of collective bargaining where not explicitly prohibited by national and local laws. Under such circumstances University Suppliers and Subcontractors shall recognize the union of the employees’ choice.
No employee shall be subject to harassment, intimidation or retaliation in his or her efforts to associate freely or bargain collectively.
Women’s Rights (page 8)
Remuneration (including benefits), treatment, evaluation of the quality of their work, and opportunity to fill all positions shall be the same for male and female workers.
At McMaster University, pay equity and fair pay scales are integral to all collective bargaining agreements. All of McMaster’s collective and employment agreements, which are available online, include provisions on pay scale equity: “21.01 Pay Equity The University and the Union agree that this Agreement complies with the Pay Equity Act of Ontario.”
The Total Rewards program, designed for The Management Group (TMG), promotes “internal equity” and upholds pay equity principles (see pages 1 & 2). The TMG policy also specifies that the University’s job evaluation process must use a gender-neutral comparison system, assessing roles based on skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions (refer to the “Band” section on page 9): “Jobs in TMG are administered in Bands. The Band of a job is determined through application of the University’s job evaluation process which uses a gender neutral comparison system to evaluate jobs based on the skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. Each Band has a corresponding salary range within which incumbents of jobs are administered.”
McMaster is committed to regularly reviewing its compensation programs to identify and address any systemic adverse impacts to equity deserving groups. McMaster regularly audits (measuring pay scale gender equity) faculty salaries to ensure there are no gender pay gaps. The previous audit, conducted in October 2019 and released in 2020, revealed that a one-time adjustment to the base salaries of female faculty members successfully eliminated the gender influence on pay disparities. Another audit was conducted, recent as of October 1, 2023 to see if the salary adjustment applied in 2015 continues to equalize salary between male and female full-time faculty at McMaster University.
Tracking Pay Scale for Gender Equity
McMaster University is committed to fostering an inclusive community and to ensuring equity in compensation and treatment. At McMaster University, pay equity and fair pay scales are integral to all collective bargaining agreements. Faculty salaries are also reviewed annually and reported transparently to identify and address any gender pay disparities. See “Gender Equity in Faculty Salaries” tab, delivered by the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis.
“The characteristics of the sample of full-time MUFA faculty as of October 1, 2023 are shown in Tables 1-4. A comparison of the median and average salary of the 1,015 full-time MUFA faculty showed lower salary for females relative to male colleagues (Table 1). To explore the possibility of a full-time MUFA faculty gender pay gap, a multiple linear regression model was used to determine if gender accounts for the salary difference. The dependent variable was Annual Salary, and the independent variables were Gender, Rank, Years in Rank, Years in Rank Squared, Faculty, Appointment Stream, and Highest Degree earned (Table 5). The Student’s t-test was used to test the null hypothesis that gender does not influence the salary of full-time MUFA faculty once other pay-determining variables are controlled for in the model. The results of the multiple linear regression model showed that 71.2% of the total variability in annual salary was accounted for by the variables in the model and that the null hypothesis could not be rejected at the 5% significance level (Table 6, p value=0.50, Adjusted R2 = 0.7154). Thus, the results of the analysis indicated that gender does not influence the salary of full-time MUFA faculty.”
This User Guide describes how the Human Resources at McMaster tracks Employer Contributions by Union, Pay Grade as well as by additional breakdown (by Department, Gender, etc.).
Employment Practice Appeal Process
At McMaster University, every collective agreement clearly defines the procedures for raising concerns and provides a structured process for grievance resolution. The university is committed to offering various support mechanisms to facilitate this. For example, the grievance resolution process for TMG employees outlines specific steps for handling both formal and informal disputes between employees and supervisors.
The TMG Complaint Resolution/Appeal Procedure adheres to the following principles:
- each employee with a complaint relating to his/her employment should have access to a system to resolve the matter
- the immediate supervisor should have an opportunity to address the matter
- all employee matters should be treated in a confidential manner (i.e., only those who are involved in the case will be brought into the proceedings)
- employees should have the opportunity to invite an individual to accompany them to any proceedings relating to a complaint under this policy
- a clear outcome should be provided from the managerial level responsible for the position
- all matters should be handled in a timely manner
Similarly, Unifor employees can follow a dedicated complaint, grievance, and arbitration procedure, as outlined in Article 6 on page 13 of the policy. McMaster remains dedicated to ensuring that all employees have effective channels to address their concerns and grievances.
This Policy is designed to provide McMaster University faculty members with prompt and impartial adjudication of grievances arising from their employment relationship with the University.
This Policy is intended to facilitate and promote informal resolution of grievances and to furnish a formal mechanism of grievance resolution when informal means are unsuccessful. Mediation as a means of resolution of grievances is the preferred method for formal resolution of grievances. Only the most serious grievances which have not been resolved by mediation are appropriate for a Hearing.
Employment Practice Labour Rights
McMaster University employees are represented by eleven bargaining units, each associated with one of five union partners. The university provides a transparent and easily accessible list of unions and collective agreements for public reference. McMaster fully supports the right of employees to union representation and recognizes the unions’ role in advocating for the well-being of their members, including women and international staff, in alignment with our bargaining principles. For example, Unifor union contracts, available on the collective agreements website, outline essential guidelines for maintaining a respectful, non-discriminatory workplace.
McMaster University Collective Bargaining Principles – Our Mission
At McMaster our purpose is the discovery, communication and preservation of knowledge. In our teaching, research, and scholarship, we are committed to creativity, innovation and excellence. We value integrity, quality, inclusiveness and teamwork in everything we do. We inspire critical thinking, personal growth, and a passion for lifelong learning. We serve the social, cultural, and economic needs of our community and our society.
- Through the process of collective bargaining, the University seeks to enable and support excellence in teaching and research, in pursuit of its mission, vision, and institutional priorities
- As a Top Employer in the Hamilton-Niagara Region and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, McMaster University values its people and the important work they do in support of the University’s mission, vision and institutional priorities
- The University bargains in good faith, demonstrating its values of integrity, quality, inclusiveness and teamwork, and is committed to inclusive excellence and long-term, collaborative relationships with its union partners
- The University recognizes and respects the right of all employees to elect to be represented by a union of their choice, and the rights of a union in representing the interests of the bargaining unit
- The University bargains in a manner that is fiscally responsible and guided by evidenced-based market research, with a careful view toward fair and equitable contracts that are affordable and sustainable in the long term
- The University believes that negotiations are most effective and productive when they happen at bargaining tables and not through third parties
- The University bargains based on total compensation, recognizing the value and cost of not just wages, but also of all other variable elements of a total compensation package (e.g. benefits, premiums, paid leave, etc.)