“Not optimistic a strike can be avoided,” Fanshawe OPSEU Pres
The threat of an extended spring break for Ontario college students grows larger, as talks between faculty and management fail to resolve salary and workload issues.
A month ago, 396 of Fanshawe's 548 full-time faculty members voted 80 per cent in favour of walking off the job at midnight on March 7,if an agreement isn't reached, which will leave thousands of college students without teachers.
Ontario Public Service Employee Union (OPSEU) CAAT-Academic members, who represent the 9,000 college faculty employees, and College Compensation Appointments Council (CCAC) were in negotiations February 15 and 16, but no agreements were reached.
“I'm not feeling optimistic that a strike will be avoided,” said Paddy Musson, President of the Fanshawe College Faculty Union and Sociology teacher in the General Studies division.
Management offered a 12.6 per cent increase in salary over four years, but the union is demanding a salary that is equal to a midpoint amount between the maximum Ontario high school teachers and the lowest Ontario university professors wage.
According to Musson, management's offer pushes salaries back towards high school teachers, rather than in the direction of the midpoint.
But management feels the faculty have to budge on their demands.
“The faculty needs to move their position dramatically,” said Howard Rundle, Fanshawe College President, who estimates the proposed salary demands would cost an additional $135 million. “Both sides are still far apart.”
A CCAC newsletter to college managers said the Union proposal was “completely unaffordable” and did not “address the need to find new ways to distribute workload assignments.”
“In actual fact, work load is the biggest issue,” explained Musson, whose union involvement has spanned three decades. “[It's] something that has eroded over time and needs a resolution.”
The union is also concerned with how the colleges are spending government funding, like the $5.5 million from the Quality Improvement Fund Fanshawe was allotted earlier this year.
“We had to use that money for everything, not simply just for faculty,” explained Rundle, who said the funding went towards upgrading equipment, hiring support staff and security, as well as 14 new teachers at the college.
Musson said Fanshawe's portion of the Quality Improvement Fund was spent on part-time teachers, who were hired to replace full-time, higher paid faculty, which in the end saved the college money in faculty payroll.
“It looks like rather than hiring full-time teachers, the college is going to move in the direction of part-time teachers,” said Musson, who added that only a tiny portion of the funds went toward improving student/teacher face-time ratios. “The quality of student contact with teachers needs to be addressed.”
“We want more faculty time for students. We should not have to go on strike to achieve this shared goal,” said Chair of the Faculty Negotiating Team, Ted Montgomery. “But we are certainly prepared to do so if that is what it takes.”
Rundle didn't predict the length of the strike, but said past academic strikes have lasted approximately a month and expects the current one to do the same.
“In the last two strikes no one lost their year,” Rundle said. ”The college cares about that more than anything.”
He added that the time of the strike was not favourable because it comes at the end of a school year, which leaves little time to make-up for lost school days. Although, Rundle pointed out the positive aspect that students have already completed the bulk of their school year.
Musson said the union is monetarily prepared to strike for a month, but due to the lack of time left in the semester, expects it to last from two weeks to 12 working days.
If a strike does occur, the school will be open and the library will be in operation, as well as reduced lab facilities, but Rundle encourages students to leave their cars at home because the protesting will cause traffic delays.
“The college will remain fully accessible to students,” he said.
Musson would prefer students stay at home to do their schoolwork, rather than crossing the picket line.
London Transit Commission (LTC) will not be making routine stops within the college in event of a strike, but will stop outside the college parameters.
Other college jobs will also be affected by the faculty strike, such as support staff, who fought their own battle with colleges in the fall of 2005.
“All support staff will be here…and some part-time teachers,” explained Rundle, concerning the threat to non-faculty staff at the college. “If you look at the past there has been no lay—offs of full-time people. If there is useful work to be done, we would not lay-off part-time people.”
Although a faculty strike may sound like an extended holiday for students, Rundle reminds them that they are ultimately responsible for keeping up with assignments and readings.
“Students have to act responsibly,” warned Rundle. “If they come back behind, it's no different than flunking.”
For updated information about the strike, visit www.collegestrike.com.
A month ago, 396 of Fanshawe's 548 full-time faculty members voted 80 per cent in favour of walking off the job at midnight on March 7,if an agreement isn't reached, which will leave thousands of college students without teachers.
Ontario Public Service Employee Union (OPSEU) CAAT-Academic members, who represent the 9,000 college faculty employees, and College Compensation Appointments Council (CCAC) were in negotiations February 15 and 16, but no agreements were reached.
“I'm not feeling optimistic that a strike will be avoided,” said Paddy Musson, President of the Fanshawe College Faculty Union and Sociology teacher in the General Studies division.
Management offered a 12.6 per cent increase in salary over four years, but the union is demanding a salary that is equal to a midpoint amount between the maximum Ontario high school teachers and the lowest Ontario university professors wage.
According to Musson, management's offer pushes salaries back towards high school teachers, rather than in the direction of the midpoint.
But management feels the faculty have to budge on their demands.
“The faculty needs to move their position dramatically,” said Howard Rundle, Fanshawe College President, who estimates the proposed salary demands would cost an additional $135 million. “Both sides are still far apart.”
A CCAC newsletter to college managers said the Union proposal was “completely unaffordable” and did not “address the need to find new ways to distribute workload assignments.”
“In actual fact, work load is the biggest issue,” explained Musson, whose union involvement has spanned three decades. “[It's] something that has eroded over time and needs a resolution.”
The union is also concerned with how the colleges are spending government funding, like the $5.5 million from the Quality Improvement Fund Fanshawe was allotted earlier this year.
“We had to use that money for everything, not simply just for faculty,” explained Rundle, who said the funding went towards upgrading equipment, hiring support staff and security, as well as 14 new teachers at the college.
Musson said Fanshawe's portion of the Quality Improvement Fund was spent on part-time teachers, who were hired to replace full-time, higher paid faculty, which in the end saved the college money in faculty payroll.
“It looks like rather than hiring full-time teachers, the college is going to move in the direction of part-time teachers,” said Musson, who added that only a tiny portion of the funds went toward improving student/teacher face-time ratios. “The quality of student contact with teachers needs to be addressed.”
“We want more faculty time for students. We should not have to go on strike to achieve this shared goal,” said Chair of the Faculty Negotiating Team, Ted Montgomery. “But we are certainly prepared to do so if that is what it takes.”
Rundle didn't predict the length of the strike, but said past academic strikes have lasted approximately a month and expects the current one to do the same.
“In the last two strikes no one lost their year,” Rundle said. ”The college cares about that more than anything.”
He added that the time of the strike was not favourable because it comes at the end of a school year, which leaves little time to make-up for lost school days. Although, Rundle pointed out the positive aspect that students have already completed the bulk of their school year.
Musson said the union is monetarily prepared to strike for a month, but due to the lack of time left in the semester, expects it to last from two weeks to 12 working days.
If a strike does occur, the school will be open and the library will be in operation, as well as reduced lab facilities, but Rundle encourages students to leave their cars at home because the protesting will cause traffic delays.
“The college will remain fully accessible to students,” he said.
Musson would prefer students stay at home to do their schoolwork, rather than crossing the picket line.
London Transit Commission (LTC) will not be making routine stops within the college in event of a strike, but will stop outside the college parameters.
Other college jobs will also be affected by the faculty strike, such as support staff, who fought their own battle with colleges in the fall of 2005.
“All support staff will be here…and some part-time teachers,” explained Rundle, concerning the threat to non-faculty staff at the college. “If you look at the past there has been no lay—offs of full-time people. If there is useful work to be done, we would not lay-off part-time people.”
Although a faculty strike may sound like an extended holiday for students, Rundle reminds them that they are ultimately responsible for keeping up with assignments and readings.
“Students have to act responsibly,” warned Rundle. “If they come back behind, it's no different than flunking.”
For updated information about the strike, visit www.collegestrike.com.
