College strike deadline looms
Teachers at Niagara College and across the province could walk off the job as early as Oct. 15.
Although both union and college negotiators remain hopeful a strike or lockout can be averted, Niagara College communications manager Michael Wales isn’t optimistic.
“The colleges have been hopeful that the offer of an extended contract would have been accepted before it expired, but unfortunately the union rejected that offer,” Wales said.
“They’re putting forward proposals that can’t really form the basis of a settlement.”
From the perspective of Ontario Public Service Employees Union — which represents about 12,000 unionized faculty at all 24 public colleges in the province — the ball is now in the employer’s court.
“The faculty team has made significant movement in the last couple of months, but the employer simply has not,” said OPSEU bargaining team chairperson JP Hornick.
Ontario colleges, including Niagara, are being represented by the College Employer Council in collaboration and ongoing dialogue with all 24 post-secondary institutions.
Hornick said the union tabled a revised offer for a new contract during the last round of negotiations “that really took into account a lot of the concerns we had heard from them and left a lot of room for discussion.”
Management rejected that offer “without even going through it,” she said.
Hornick said that offer included a request for a 50/50 complement of full- and part-time teachers, job security for contract faculty so teachers “can just concentrate on their classrooms,” as well as “shared decision-making” whereby faculty, administration and students work together to make decisions regarding academics.
“My concern is what we tabled was really better for the students” because it adds stability to their education, she said.
Hornick said management “refuses to have any discussions whatsoever on any of the faculty issues.”
Management, she said, instead renewed the offer “rejected by faculty in the strike mandate vote very soundly” that included a 7.5 per cent raise over four years, a lumpsum payment and improved benefits.
“We’re a little bit stymied,” she said.
The union has agreed to provide five days’ notice before a strike occurs — that notification could happen prior to the Oct. 15 deadline meaning teachers could be on the picket lines on that date.
Wales said college negotiators remain committed to “finding a path to settlement, but it needs to be a settlement that’s fair to faculty while at the same time is affordable and responsible for the college.”
While the colleges have contingency plans if a strike occurs, Wales said those plans will be shared publicly if the union notifies the colleges of its intention to strike.
Negotiators have been on a break since the end of last week when the mediator recommended a recess, but Hornick is eager to get back to the bargaining table.
She said the union will be proposing dates in the days to come for the resumption of negotiations, “and we hope to have a positive response.”