Mohawk College faculty begins strike Monday, convocation postponed

Mohawk College faculty will participate in a province-wide strike beginning Monday, Oct. 16.

Students have been asked to stop contacting their professors during the strike, and all full-time programs will be suspended.

Ron McKerlie, president of Mohawk College, said in a statement Tuesday night that the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) that represents the college's teachers had rejected the final offer from the team representing the 24 colleges in Ontario.

McKerlie said that students are encouraged to catch up on work and review difficult material. Peer tutoring and other help centres continue to be available during the strike.

"No student at an Ontario college has ever lost their year due to a strike. Mohawk will make sure that all students get the opportunity to complete their semester," he said.

The fall convocation ceremony scheduled for Oct. 20 has been postponed, but the president said that students graduating this month will still receive their credentials.

JP Hornick, chair of the union bargaining team, said a news release on Tuesday that colleges have "once again refused to consider key faculty issues."

"Unfortunately our employer is not moving forward on the issues faculty care about most — even in the case of no-cost items like academic freedom or longer contracts for contract faculty," Hornick said.

Mohawk College said all three campuses will remain open during the strike with their usual hours of operations, along with labs and Student Services. On-campus jobs are not affected, but the statement warns some students may experience a change in scheduling and hours if they are employed by the Mohawk Students' Association.

The college will be meeting with the regional office of OPSEU to discuss picket line protocol.