No faculty strike yet

A planned faculty strike vote last week did not happen as planned and both sides are back to the bargaining table.

Colleges Ontario and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union have been negotiating since early this year. The most recent development was the unilateral application by management of a new contract to college faculties. OPSEU had noted a strike vote would be pursued, but now it appears that they are sitting down once more.

“The management group agreed to meet us. Although it is only for one day we remain optimistic that we can make some progress,” said Janet Wright, a member of the OPSEU's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology — Academic bargaining team, in an email.

While a strike is not likely to happen this year, unless negotiations succeed in the next week or so — it may be something to be wary about in 2010.