Ontario College Strike

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Today's vote-day, and I'm hoping it works out for the best, though nobody seems to have a clear idea what's going on. As these things go, the rhetoric is through the roof on both sides. Apparently the key issue is workload, but what (imo) it really boils down to are the changes in the provincial labour act that allowed the colleges to impose their own terms and conditions on faculty without recourse to dialogue.

So that's certainly a fight worth fighting, but it seems to me that it would all be best fought at that level (who let those changes through anyway?), not between faculty and the colleges, with everybody caught in the middle over it. I don't relish the idea of giving up teaching to stand out in the friggin' snow for weeks on end with virtually no pay.

Anybody else caught up in this? It's a pretty screwed-up situation all around.

[phishtaper]

I very much hope y'all don't go on strike. Nobody wins during labour disputes, and few win afterwards.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

what do you guys go on strike every 3-4 years?

[ollie]

Stay in school kids.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

what do you guys go on strike every 3-4 years?

Now that you mention it, the last strike was in winter '06, a few weeks after I started working part-time here. Not a lot of things have changed terribly much. Same weather, too.

[Low rain]

Does anyone know the results? Are they striking? I am in a two year part-time program at Mohawk College. I just started my 5th semester and am almost done the program! We have summer semesters til the end of June/beginning of July which is late enough into the nice weather. I am really hoping that it is not going to end up being even later than that.

[Low rain]

57.03% voted province wide in favour of a strike. aghh!! but the article on the mohawk site, said that this result gives OPSEU a strike mandate, and the ability to call a strike, however the priority is now to return to the table, reach an agreement and avert a strike

Here's hoping for an agreement!

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Ontario College Instructors Vote to Strike

Ontario's roughly 9,000 college instructors have given their union the green light to strike at the province's two dozen community colleges.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union said Wednesday night that about 57 per cent of members who voted supported strike action.

The vote on a strike mandate came after five months of talks with the colleges broke down Dec. 15.

Ted Montgomery of the OPSEU bargaining team, which represents faculty members, said a walkout wouldn't happen for at least a month.

For the union, key issues are workload, academic freedom and management's decision in November to impose its offer on the teachers without a vote.

The colleges said in a release that their offer would increase salaries by eight per cent over four years and raise the maximum salary to $103,975.

Training, Colleges and Universities Minister John Milloy urged both sides Wednesday night to keep the best interests of 200,000 full-time students in mind and return to the bargaining table as soon as possible.

"I am very concerned that the ongoing contract dispute between faculty and Colleges has the potential to interrupt classes for thousands of Ontario students," Milloy said in a release.

Workload was also the top issue when college teachers went on strike for three weeks in 2006, Montgomery said. The previous contract expired Aug. 31, 2009.

The union wants a 2.5 per cent pay increase in each year of a three-year contract. Both sides have indicated they would like to resume talks.

About 9,000 full-time and part-time teachers, counsellors and librarians were eligible to vote.

The union has indicated the earliest possible labour disruption would be February, Algonquin College president and CEO Robert Gillett assured students in a letter earlier in the week.

"If there is a strike, colleges will develop semester completion plans to help students complete their studies and not lose the term," the letter added.

The union must give five days notice to be in a legal strike position.

Edited January 14, 2010 by Guest

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

And apparently the Algonquin vote was against it, to boot. Whaddyagonnado. Toronto wins again.

[phishtaper]

only 18 of 24 colleges supported a strike. 6 voted against it. given the new legislation that allows faculty at each college to decide their own action - and not require province-wide action as was legislated last time - this could get very messy if only some colleges decide to go out and others not to. i am guessing this would put additional pressure on both the council/management (and the province) to quickly move towards settlement.

no matter how you cut it, 57% is a VERY low strike mandate, although interestingly, the OPSEU Constitution does not specify simple majority or two-thirds majority required strike vote. in fact, it does not even provide any detail whatsoever about strike action (which I find bizzare ... but maybe I am just looking in the wrong place)

[ike]

I know a fair number of teachers so I hope I don't offend anyone here, but this really pisses me off. Just one time I'd like to see a contract end and the next one start without a god damn strike.

I may be generalizing here so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but if the key issue is increased workload (I'm sure they wouldn't be striking over decreased workload) that by law the employer is allowed to increase, then obey the law and do the job you are already getting paid well to do. Oh and by the way the colleges want to increase your salary even though many people don't think you deserve it and many more aren't getting raises these days due to the tough economic times.

[phishtaper]

[color:purple]gosh, ike, how could a completely uninformed rant ever be considered offensive by anyone?

[Kanada Kev]

I know a fair number of teachers so I hope I don't offend anyone here, but this really pisses me off. Just one time I'd like to see a contract end and the next one start without a god damn strike.

If the union and the employer got together and faithfully worked out a deal with a reasonable deadline then this could happen. Problem is, both sides dig in their heels and neither offer to budge prior to deadlines and then result to lockouts (employer) or strikes (employees). Blame goes both ways. The process needs to be altered.

Why not have binding legislation that states that a labour arbitrator is IMMEDIATELY assigned to force a deal to made if the two sides can't mutually agree by a deadline? This would ensure that action is taken and no need for any work stoppage or missed classes.

btw - for those who constantly bitch'n'moan about teachers ... if it's such a fantastic job, what's stopping you from getting your qualifications and becoming one??? I'd love to see how many days (hours) some people could survive in the profession and having to deal with the way it's being operated.

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

binding arbitration should be legislated, not only in this case but many others (like the OC Transpo strike of last year).

i don't know much about this specific case, but that won't stop me from giving my 2 cents. from what I've heard management doesn't have the incentive to negotiate in good faith as they lose little with a strike. they still get the tuition and they potentially save some money. the teachers lose income. the students get the worst of it. even if the classes are made up, I assume that it affects summer employment for them.

and teachers are totally under-appreciated in our society. early childhood educators even more so.

[Kanada Kev]

binding arbitration should be legislated, not only in this case but many others (like the OC Transpo strike of last year).

Exactly.

from what I've heard management doesn't have the incentive to negotiate in good faith as they lose little with a strike. they still get the tuition and they potentially save some money.

So often the case when they drag their heels. They have the numbers crunched and often find themselves in situations to break even, or possibly even profit from work stoppage.

the teachers lose income. the students get the worst of it. even if the classes are made up, I assume that it affects summer employment for them.

Yup, and the spin-masters make it so easy to pit the public and students against the teachers (you know, they've got it soooooo easy and do nothing all day/night). Classic divide-and-conquer mentality for beating an opponent.

and teachers are totally under-appreciated in our society. early childhood educators even more so.

Word!

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Ike, I'm with you - this situation bugs me to no end. There's so much bad-faith negotiation, and too many people caught in the middle. The Algonquin vote, fwiw, was right down the middle, but it ranged from the relatively low (St. Lawrence, at 37% for it) through the fairly high (Centennial, at 70%, and Boreal capping it off at 87%).

As for the workload issue, it looks to me like the sticking point (which I have yet to see people making much noise about) is the whole business of online-learning. I'm pretty cynical about it: it seems like a way to swell enrollments, take advantage of maxed-out classroom space, and, inadvertently, water down the quality of education. But if the colleges don't keep growing at a certain rate, they start losing provincial funding. Apparently, task forces were struck after the last strike to deal with this - to figure out exactly how much work is expected from instructors - but they've done diddly-squat over the last three years, and here we are again. And believe me, the online world of teaching can eat you up 24/7 if you let it. I'm tempted to say, "If I had a dollar for every Sunday-at-midnight email I answered," but that's maybe not quite appropriate right now .

But the money? The idea alone of getting paid comfortably, as I do, for what I love to do is fine by me. I just don't want to see the students getting screwed over, as much as anyone.

On the upside, apparently everybody's going back to negotiation, so we'll have to see how this plays out.

[Schwa.]

Sure teachers work hard (I have 5 in my family) but they also bitch more than any profession I've ever ever experienced.

Get 5 teachers in the room at once and watch what happens.

[Birdy]

Amen, Schwa!

I live with an elementary teacher and have a mother whose a college professor. Sometimes i want to bash my head against a wall listening to them. Especially when the one I live with complains she has to work until 7 at night. Christ! I don't get out of this place sometimes until midnight, and even later. And I come in on Saturdays, Sundays, etc. For free! If i had the chance to strike, i tell you!

It makes it really hard to take pity on teachers when I know what kind of hours I put in in comparison. Report card season is an absolute nightmare. Those three days of putting in extra time to get the marks in! C'mon! Stressed? Puhleeze.

I don't know much about salary caps for public school teachers, but I do know how much money my mom makes. And I'll just say that striking for more money whatever the case seems like an f'ing joke to me. She voted no because she agrees. In comparison to other professions and hours and effort that go into them, she makes out pretty damn AOK.

It's hard to pity teachers with their mandatory salary increases, job security, summers off, two weeks at Christmas and days here and there to 'regroup and refocus'.

edit to add:

No offense teachers! Just sayin'!

Edited January 14, 2010 by Guest

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

I was thinking that instead of calling it a strike, the union could just prorogue school until everyone felt like going back once things were going their way.

[phishtaper]

No offense teachers! Just sayin'!

[color:purple]again, how could anyone possibly be offended by an uninformed, stereotypical, insensitive sweeping generalization?

[Birdy]

haha not uninformed PT. nothing i said in the above is uninformed, it's all first hand knowledge.

and for what it's worth, it's hard to be 'sensitive' in these cases, considering everything else that's going on in the world.

[Freak By Night]

In my last year of college (1984-85 -yikes!) the teachers went on strike. Or was it a lockout? I can't remember. It lasted about a month.

For me, what happened during that month off could best be described as an orgy of debauchery.

Best year ever.

[Schwa.]

I consider myself very informed when it comes to teachers, profs and the impact that it has on students having been one for 7 years post secondary and I have to stand by all that has been said so far. They strike at the end of EVERY contract. My brother the High School Dept. Head is always filling me in on the details of the Union vs. Board (Principals) interaction as he is usually on the brunt end of the demands by the school board as per standardized testing, prep time, extra curricular recoop and disciplinary actions and he is the one that bitches the least because he doesn't have a Union way of thinking and never will...just not his nature. How informed would you like me to be phishtaper? because i can find it out for ya....and yes, i know this isn't about High School teachers but the situation is the exact same.

[Schwa.]

Side note: fwiw, my family members that teach in and around Toronto bitch WAY more They may have more to complain about there as I'm not sure of their workload differences from SW Ontario.

PS-I've never heard Meggo bitch

[Kanada Kev]

Sure teachers work hard (I have 5 in my family) but they also bitch more than any profession I've ever ever experienced.

Get 5 teachers in the room at once and watch what happens.

I could take 5 people from my workplace and they would bitch to levels equal to, or greater than, your 5 teachers. Ha! Seriously, get any group of workers together and they'll find ways to bitch. If a workplace and system is being piss-poorly run then they've got material.

Christ! I don't get out of this place sometimes until midnight, and even later. And I come in on Saturdays, Sundays, etc. For free! If i had the chance to strike, i tell you!

It makes it really hard to take pity on teachers when I know what kind of hours I put in in comparison.

What? You have the chance to strike ... it's called quitting if you hate your job that much. You can say the same to a teacher if you hear them bitching at the level you just went off at. What is your job? How does it compare to the teaching profession? Apples / Oranges? Or are you a teacher in a private system that doesn't have as many rights as those in the public sector and your management team making you stay 'til midnight and weekends and not being paid for it??? If that's the case, then yes, you should strike/quit.

Report card season is an absolute nightmare. Those three days of putting in extra time to get the marks in! C'mon! Stressed? Puhleeze.

Please birdy ... take some time off and come volunteer in my wife's classroom for a week. Then report back and tell me there's no stress.

In comparison to other professions and hours and effort that go into them, she makes out pretty damn AOK.

Hmmmmm. Hours and effort? What kind of hours and effort do you think a public school teacher involves?

It's hard to pity teachers with their mandatory salary increases, job security, summers off, two weeks at Christmas and days here and there to 'regroup and refocus'.

Why pity them? Join 'em if it's so bloody great already. Minimal hours and effort along with all those great perks and slacking off all day???

You must REALLY hate firefighters too!

No offense teachers! Just sayin'!

Half-true Birdy. That should read "Offending teachers? Yes! Just sayin'!"