THUNDER BAY – Striking Confederation College faculty used a Mini Queen’s Park rally over the noon-hour on Friday to implore the province to force the College Employer Council to return to the negotiation table.
Rebecca Ward, president of the Local 732 of the Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union CAAT-A bargaining unit, said until the two sides can get together and talk, there’s no chance a deal can get done. About 150 teachers at the Thunder Bay college have been on strike since Oct. 16, a day after talks broke down and no talks have been held.
“Our feeling is the province should mandate the College Employer Council to get back to the table and negotiate,” Ward said. “That’s what we’re lobbying for today.”
Twelve days into the strike, morale still remains high on the picket line, as teachers fight for more say in course content and an increase the contingent of full-time faculty raised to 50 per cent of faculty totals.
“We’re standing with energy, because we believe we’re doing the right thing. We’re fighting for integrity, which makes this process a little easier to sustain,” Ward said.
“There is some frustration because the College Employer Council has hired a reputation manager. So there’s a lot of spin happening out in the media right now.”
The CEC is sending mixed messages as the labour dispute drags one, she added.
On the one hand they’re saying the strike could last six weeks.
“Where this number comes from, who knows? Why they’re putting it out there, who knows? At the same time they’re telling students no student has ever lost a semester. They’re creating confusion, they’re creating angst in students,” Ward said. “We don’t believe that’s in students’ best interest. We care about our students. That’s why we’re here.
“So we’re getting frustrated with those kinds of messages, but our strength, our resolve is strong.”
In a release issued on Thursday, the CEC says it believes its final offer to teachers is fair and responsive to what was heard at the bargaining table.
The CEC maintains union members should be allowed to vote on the governing body’s final offer, an idea rejected by OPSEU leadership.
“The colleges remain available to return to the bargaining table to negotiate a settlement based on the final offer they made prior to the strike starting. We hope that the government-appointed mediator will indicate soon that the union wishes to address the issues in a positive manner so that he can bring the parties together. We want our faculty back doing what they do best,” the CEC said in the update.
Adair Conlon, vice-president of OPSEU’s support union at the college, said her membership faces similar issues when negotiating contracts, ensuring part-time staff are treated fairly, with fair wages for equal work.
It’s tough to watch colleagues walking the picket line.
“It’s very frustrating. The college is like a ghost town right now, without our students, without or faculty. Morale is low. We just want our faculty back and want our students back,” Conlon said.
