Province to End College Strike with back To Work Legislation

Ontario Premier has announced plans to end the five-week old strike at Ontario Colleges through back-to-work legislation.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) requested the intervention after the offer presented by management failed to get membership’s approval.  The union represents approximately 12,000 staff at 24 publically funded colleges across the province.  They’ve been on strike since October 16 over issues regarding workload, compensation, and academic freedom.

The College’s management presented an offer to the membership earlier this month.  According to media reports, the College Employers’ Council (CEC) offered  a 7.75& increase in salary, better benefits, and measures that would address concerns over workload.  The offer was rejected with 86% voting against it Thursday.  500,000 students have been affected by the ongoing work stoppage.

The rejection prompted Wynne to meet with the two sides trying to seek an agreement.   Late last night she announced back-to-work legislation that would effectively end the strike, sending students back to school by Monday.  It would refer outstanding issues to a binding mediation-arbitration process.  “We have heard from the parties that they have reached an impasse in negotiations and that they have not agreed to binding arbitration.  That’s why we are immediately tabling legislation that would end the dispute and return Ontario college students to the classroom where they belong,” she said in a statement.  There are suggestions the legislature could sit through the weekend.

Progressive Conservative (PC) Leader Patrick Brown supports the move.  New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Andrea Horwath is set to block the bill, meaning students may not be back until as late as Thursday of next week.

OPSEU Reacts to Back-To-Work Legislation

OPSEU Leader Warren (Smokey) Thomas blamed the College Employer Council.  “When our team made a last-ditch effort to get students back in class on Monday, the colleges dug in even further,” Thomas said.  He is demanding that the CEC be disbanded, calling it a private club.

OPSEU has  also reportedly demanded each striking faculty member be paid $5,000 as a return-to-work bonus.  The CEC argues against it concerned the money will be diverted from the student hardship fund announced by Advanced Education Minister Deb Matthews.  “We are in support of the government introducing back to work legislation as soon as possible,” the CEC said in a news release.

Students have launched a class-action lawsuit in an attempt to get a refund for tuition.  According to the CBC, a petition started indicates that based on current tuition, full-time students are owed an average $30/day for the strike.

The Legislature has agreed to sit 1-6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday in order to debate back-to-work legislation.