By SooToday.com Staff
SooToday.com
Saturday, March 11, 2006

NEWS RELEASES

SAULT COLLEGE STUDENT
ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL

OPSEU

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Sault College students urge talks to resume

(Sault Ste. Marie, ON) - TALK! That is what Sault College students want both sides of the current labour dispute to do.

"We need you to talk - get back to the table so that we can get back to class," says Graham Vooren, Student Administrative Council (SAC) President.

On Monday March 6 talks broke down between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and the College Compensation and Appointments Council (The Council), while trying to reach a new collective agreement for over 9,000 full-time faculty, librarians, and counsellors for all the 24 colleges of Ontario.

Sault College students have launched a "TALK!" campaign.

Students from 30 different academic programs came together this week - all demanding that both sides resume talks so that they can reach an agreement and classes resume.

"This photo underscores the desire of every Ontario Student, regardless of program area, to have both sides of this labour dispute return to the table and talk," says Stefan E. Shynkorenko, SAC vice president programing.

"It is unfortunate that both sides could not reach an agreement that is in the best interests of the students," says Vooren. "However, no agreement is going to be reached if both sides do not get back to the table, and if both sides won't do it on their own accord it is time for the government to get them back there."

The longer the strike persists, the more upset and frustrated the students will get.

Many students have already secured jobs for the summer or have already applied to other academic institutions; not being in the classroom puts these plans in jeopardy.

"Students do understand that this is a legal right OPSEU has and we have been as courteous as possible, but it is time for both sides to resume negotiations so as to avoid any further loss of class room time or financial resources," Graham stated.

"The most important thing for students to do now is to stay informed. Our affiliate the College Student Alliance (CSA) has set up an excellent website(www.collegestrike.com) for the students where they can get the most up-to-date information.

"As well it is important for students to stay informed at their specific college, whether it be through college specific websites or information sessions," Natalie Shawana SAC vice president communications said.

The Student Administrative Council at Sault College is composed of five elected representatives representing over 2,000 full-time students.

The CSA is an advocacy and service organisation that currently represents 15 colleges and 22 student governments - with over 100,000 full-time student members.

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Colleges are incapable of negotiating, says faculty union

OPSEU calls for McGuinty to intervene

TORONTO - The Ontario Public Service Employees Union yesterday called for Premier Dalton McGuinty to intervene in the current strike in 24 Ontario community colleges.

Education quality is the central issue for 9,100 striking college faculty, members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

Their team has filed unfair labour charges yesterday as a result of a last-minute bargaining move by the colleges.

The union says the employer failed to "make every reasonable effort to make an agreement" as required by the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, Part II - 5.

At a news conference, Ted Montgomery, lead negotiator for the colleges, said the administration's absolute refusal to bargain was what caused the strike. "They knew that this offer could not produce a settlement.
They wanted to provoke a strike."

So far Premier Dalton McGuinty and Colleges Minister Chris Bentley have not taken a direct interest in the dispute, even though it affects classes for 150,000 college students.

The faculty have been without a contract since Aug. 31, 2005.

Open letter

March 10, 2006

Dalton McGuinty
Premier
Legislative Assembly
Queens Park

Dear Premier,

I am writing to stress the need for urgent action to end the current dispute in the colleges.

I am appalled at the utter failure of the colleges to bargain education quality that has resulted in the current strike at 24 Ontario community colleges.

As you know quality is the central issue for 9,100 striking college faculty, members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

That is what the strike is all about.

The OPSEU team filed unfair labour charges today as a result of a last-minute bargaining move by the colleges which they knew could not produce a settlement.

The colleges wanted to provoke a strike.

We negotiate 500 contracts in OPSEU and rarely do we see such a last-minute bad-faith move by an employer.

Our members tried without success to bargain changes to the collective agreement that would reverse the decade-long decline in education quality in the colleges.

We want smaller classes and more faculty so every college
student can have more time, more attention, and more feedback.

In the end, our members went on strike for the very principles outlined in the Rae report, principles you yourself endorsed last May.

Now we need you to intervene - not with legislation but by directing your agents in the colleges to begin bargaining in good faith, and to put a serious and reasonable offer on the table now, an offer that can form the basis of a settlement.

Premier, the issue is quality.

Our members want it, the students need it, and Bob Rae recommended it.

Please remind the colleges that you have funded it and want to see it delivered.

Sincerely,
Leah Casselman, President

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