Latest News: March 18, 2006
We have more Rally pictures here.
March 17, 2006
Talks resume Monday at 9:30 a.m: OPSEU reports.
The news comes after management and the union met this morning (in separate meetings) with Chris Bentley, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.
“We hope that management got the message from the rallies [on March 16], both our rally and the students’ rally,” said OPSEU bargaining team chair Ted Montgomery. “We hope that they got the message from the minister, and we remain optimistic that they’ll put a serious and reasonable offer on the table.”
The union was prepared to resume talks today, but management proposed Monday, Montgomery said.
March 17, 2006
Ontario colleges call for mediator to resume negotiations.
Ontario's colleges have contacted the provincial mediator to request that talks resume between the colleges and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) representing faculty. "We remain committed to getting a negotiated agreement," said Joy Warkentin, the chair of the management bargaining team for the College Compensation and Appointments Council. "It is time to end this strike and get the students and the faculty back in the classroom."
March 17, 2006
Leslie Butler, a journalism professor at Sheridan College, has written a good editorial piece for the Toronto Star: Public apathy helps fuel strike at colleges.
March 16, 2006
We have pictures of today's Rally.
We also have ../images from day 7, and day 8.
March 16, 2006
About 5,000 teachers, librarians, counsellors, students, and supporters marched on the Minister's offices today. More photos and news during today and tomorrow.
"I’m proud of you, but deeply saddened we have been driven to this," said Ted Montgomery at the rally.
March 16, 2006
The Globe and Mail reports: Two sides in Ontario college strike to meet. While the Toronto Start reports: Teachers wary of minister's invitation.
Montgomery, who is the head of bargaining for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), said in an interview that while he is encouraged by Bentley’s invitation, he is also wary of whether the government is committed to ending the walkout.
"I’m very encouraged, but it will be interesting to see what the content of the talks is," said Montgomery.
March 15, 2006
OPSEU's daily weblog has some sobering information about pay scales for teachers in the colleges. Also it seems the College presidents are divided over whether to have managers teach.
College presidents try to “buy time” while they think of a plan.
March 15, 2006
The Hamilton Spectator reports Mohawk College President MaryLynn West-Moynes as saying: Replacing teachers would be impractical, disrespectful to students:
West-Moynes said. "It's disrespectful to students that we wouldn't recognize the calibre of professor required."
The article is available here: Mohawk rules out managers
March 15, 2006
The Toronto Star editorial exhorts: Time to kick-start college strike talks.
Saying details of their so-called Semester Completion Strategy will not be available until next week, the colleges are tacitly admitting they have no plan, which could well mean their guarantee amounts to a willingness simply to drop material from the curriculum and sacrifice standards.
Here is the full article: Time to kick-start college strike talks.
March 14, 2006
The Globe and Mail reports that the Canadian Student Federation is not satisfied with the Colleges' promise they will not lose their year.
Colleges' guarantee of semester meaningless, students say
OPSEU's website has this story: College management ready to sacrifice quality. OPSEU reports that
Algonquin president Robert Gillett said yesterday that the colleges will figure out the essential work required for each course. Management will even teach classes if required, Gillett told Broadcast News.
Apparently this statement is a part of his application to enter Humber's Comedy program.
March 14, 2006
The Hamilton Spectator has similar update to the status of the provincial response. It also ends with a brief mention of the student demonstration of support yesterday.
Strikebound colleges pledge to finish school year
March 14, 2006
The CBC reports that the Colleges have reiterated their promise that students will not lose their winter term. The article also quotes John Tory, the provincial conservative leader, as demanding when the province will intervene since both sides are not talking:
"How can these people justify … the fact they just aren't talking?" Tory added. "Do we just let that go on forever?"
The full article is available here.
March 13, 2006
OPSEU has released the results of its online survey. There are several interesting and compelling descriptions of teaching at a College in Ontario. Well worth reading and adding to.
March 13, 2006
A reminder: we are having a rally to show the government we are serious about our issues. We will be meeting at the Yonge Dundas Square at 11 am. Then we will march to the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities at 900 Bay Street.
March 12, 2006
"No back-to-work timetable: Bentley" the London Free Press reports. Bentley also said he is watching the matter daily. He was also quoted as saying:
The full article is available here.Should the sides fail to get to the table and negotiate, threatening the school year, the province's hand may be forced, he added.
March 12, 2006
The Toronto Star reports that if the strike goes on too long then weekend and evening classes may be needed to help the students finish the year. Chris Bentley, Minister for Colleges and Universities, also states the province has no plans to legislate teachers back to work.
The full article is availabe here.
March 11, 2006
Students are planning a support rally for faculty at the Lakeshore Campus on Monday March 13th.
Who:
A group of Humber students are independently organizing their own show of support for striking faculty, librarians and counselors
What:
Demonstration: Quality education means hiring more faculty, smaller classes, more one-on-one time, full-time staff rather than part-time
Where:
Humber Lakeshore Campus
3199 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Toronto
South East corner of 23rd
in front of Building A
When: 11:00 a.m. Monday March 13
More details are available in these documents: media release (Word file 35kb) and flyer (Word file 35kb).
-
We now have a flyer (PDF file 96kb) for the March 16th rally. Print it up and post it widely.
-
Apparently faculty will soon be receiving a letter from management. Ted Montgomery has written a memo (Word File 40kb) in anticipation and response to this letter.
-
An interesting item:
The Ontario Labour Relations Board and the College Relations Commission have notified OPSEU that they have been flooded with e-mails which they believe might have originated from our members. OPSEU has been advised by legal counsel that the OLRB and the CRC should not be approached or lobbied. No good or useful purpose can be served by approaching them.
OPSEU and Local 562 have not received any indication that these e-mails are coming from OPSEU members, but we wanted to advise you of the above.
-
The first week of news and information on the homepage been moved to our archive section.
March 10, 2006
OPSEU has posted a transcript of Ted Montgomery's press conference. He explains a number of issues the strike is addressing as well as some of the media coverage of the past few days.
March 10, 2006
The Globe and Mail reports that OPSEU is filing a 'bad faith charge' against the Colleges. Specifically:
on March 6 in the final hour of negotiations, having tabled nothing to five days of bargaining, the management bargaining team tabled a position at that crucial stage that was an offer that they knew could not lead and would not lead to settlement," Ted Montgomery, lead negotiator for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, told a press conference in Toronto on Friday.
OPSEU has a issued press release on their website. And here is the announcement.
March 9, 2006
We now have photos from James Cullin and Mary Elliott.
March 9, 2006
Rally on March 16 at Queen's Park
There will be a rally for striking college faculty at Queen's Park on Thursday March 16. Buses are being booked to bring faculty from colleges all over Ontario. Provincial organizers plan to the rally at 11 am and have it over by 2:30. We’ll get full details of Local 562 plans for buses, etc. in the next couple of days
We believe that this event has the power to pressure the government and rally the members who attend. If it is anything like the rallies in 1984 and 1989, it is the event to attend.
