KAWARTHA LAKES-The five week long strike by Ontario College faculty including Fleming in Lindsay will continue after staff reject an offer from the Ontario College Council.
In voting this week, 86 per cent of faculty voted to reject Council’s November 6 offer. Ninety-five per cent of the 12,841 people on the voters’ list voted.
“No one is surprised that college faculty rejected the Council’s forced offer. It was full of concessions and failed to address our concerns around fairness for faculty or education quality,” said JP Hornick, chair of the faculty bargaining team for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). “We stand with hundreds of thousands of college students when we say ‘enough already.’
“Let’s get back to the bargaining table and complete these negotiations.”
The forced offer vote was a one-time option allowed under the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act. The strike, effecting up to 500,000 students and 12,000 staff is now in it’s fifth week.
“It is unfortunate that Council extended our strike and kept students out of class for an extra two weeks by calling for this vote,” said Hornick, “but now that it’s over, it’s time to move on.
“With cooperation from Council at the bargaining table I believe we can settle this strike in short order.”
The provincial mediator is expected to invite the parties back to resume negotiations shortly. If a settlement or resolution is reached on Friday or on the weekend Fleming College says it will advise students of the return to classes date as soon as possible. If no settlement or resolution is reached by Monday morning, the college will make an announcement on semester completion timelines later that day. “Colleges are working with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development on policies regarding refunds, withdrawals and a fund to address student hardships.” A statement on Fleming Colleges website reads. “We expect decisions on these issues soon after the strike is over.”
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas congratulated faculty saying “Calling for this vote was a bully move by Council,” he said. “At a time when we were only a few steps away from getting a deal, they overplayed their hand and robbed students of two weeks of their education.
“Council’s bargaining team should either settle this strike immediately or resign and be replaced by competent negotiators.”
