Increasingly Facebook has become the mode of initiating debates on controversial issues. Most recently the backlash on Facebook is being expressed by more than 11,000 students in Ontario who fear that their teachers will be on strike starting January of 2010. Many of these students have heard stories on how the students at York had been affected by the 12-week-long strike.
A group called “Ontario College Students against a Strike” has so far more than 13,000 students who are angry that the teachers’ strike is imminent. The group has posted the message:
“On January 13, 2010, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) will seek a strike mandate. The union is seeking $218 million increase to the annual teaching, staffing as well as salary.
After witnessing what happened at York University last year, I do not want the same thing to happen to Ontario colleges. A strike would mean thousands of college students out of school.
This could lead to two things. First option, a shortened strike would lead to a semester being extended into the summer, which would affect the hundreds (if not thousands) of students who rely on summer jobs. The second option is a loss of the whole semester, which would throw off the academic schedules of students.
While I respect the a everyone’s right to demand what they feel is best for them, all parties involved need to take into consideration the impact that this will have on college students.
The union and the colleges needs to pursue these negotiations through means that don’t throw the academic careers of thousands into jeopardy.”
“We are disappointed that the discussions were not successful,” said Dr. Rachael Donovan, chair of the colleges’ bargaining team. “We had hoped the union would bring its positions in line with the current economic environment and the four recommendations of the Joint Workload Taskforce Report. This did not happen.”
A strike vote will be held on January 13, 2010 to ask faculty members if they favour a strike or not. The union bargaining team has stated that this vote will strengthen its position at the bargaining table. The colleges believe that a strike mandate will be used by the union to take its members out on strike.
“A strike mandate will not change the fundamental reality, which is that a deal has to be affordable and practical. A strike mandate will not give the colleges more money or flexibility to reach a settlement,” said Dr. Donovan.
The Star reported “The union says it is fighting for academic freedom and more teacher control of workload, but it became even more upset in November when the colleges chose to exercise a new right to impose a contract after months of talks failed. The new contract provides an 8 per cent raise over four years, while the union is asking for 7.5 per cent over three years. Imposing the deal does not prevent both sides from reaching an agreement at the bargaining table, but until that happens, the imposed conditions apply.”
One of the concerns of students has been voice by Ashely Brock who starts Durham in January. She says “I don’t start college until January 2010, so what happens if this strike happens? If our semester is pushed into the ‘summer’ then our second semester is pushed back as well right? Which means that it will overlap with the September start programs.”
And many students who have to work their way to pay tuition and to support their families at the same time would lose on time in summer if the union goes ahead with the strike.
Author: Rahul Mahta
