Ontario college strike: what you need to know in eastern Ontario
Majority of classes cancelled at Algonquin, La Cité, St. Lawrence and Loyalist colleges
College faculty are on strike across Ontario starting today, including four colleges in eastern Ontario: Algonquin, La Cité, St. Lawrence and Loyalist.
- More than 12,000 Ontario college faculty walk off the job
- Why Ontario college faculty members are on strike
The faculty's union, OPSEU, says it wants a number of part-time staff hired to match the number of full-time staff.
It's also pushing for more job security and academic freedom.
The College Employer Council said giving the union what it wants would cost $250 million, forcing it to slash jobs and affect the quality of education.
The council is proposing to improve the way contract faculty move to full-time positions and a smaller, more gradual wage hike than the union wants.
While the labour dispute is ongoing, the majority of classes are cancelled in eastern Ontario's affected colleges.
Here's a look at what the colleges are telling students.
Algonquin College
- Around 20,000 students affected.
- Classes are cancelled, except continuing education classes after 6 p.m.
- Clinical placements are cancelled.
- Classes in collaborative programs taught by faculty from other universities will continue.
- Campus, residences and Students' Association facilities are open.
- OC Transpo buses that come through campus are being detoured, except for buses using Baseline Station.
The college has set up a strike information page.
Daniel Anderson is a full time professor in the electrical program. He says full time faculty suffer bc contract workers aren't paid enough. <a href="https://t.co/pegZJOCwCB">pic.twitter.com/pegZJOCwCB</a>
—@KimberleyMolinaLa Cité
- Around 5,000 students affected.
- Classes are cancelled, except online courses.
Strike updates are being posted on the school's website and social media.
Circulation perturbée à l’entrée de différents collèges en <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ontario?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ontario</a> avec le début de la grève des professeurs <a href="https://twitter.com/lesmatinsdici?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lesmatinsdici</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/iciottgat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#iciottgat</a> <a href="https://t.co/vVBfnjhV08">pic.twitter.com/vVBfnjhV08</a>
—@ClaudineRichardSt. Lawrence
- Around 6,000 full-time students affected.
- All classes are cancelled, except some field placement activities.
- Campuses are open, managers and support staff are working and most services are unaffected.
- Kingston Transit said its buses won't be servicing the Kingston campus transfer point during the strike. Check the list of detours here.
During faculty strike <a href="https://twitter.com/whatsinsideslc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@whatsinsideslc</a>, transit service suspended @ St. Lawrence College transfer point. Buses will stop on Portsmouth Ave.
—@KingstonTransitThe school has set up a page for strike updates.
Loyalist
- Campus is open but regular daytime classes are cancelled.
- Some online and continuing education courses are still happening.
- Services such as mentoring, tutoring, athletics and the career centre will continue.
- The school says to expect pickets and to be courteous and careful if crossing a line. It encourages people to take public transportation, get dropped off or carpool to reduce potential traffic delays.
- There are detours on Belleville Transit's routes 7 and 10 during the strike.
- The number of students affected was not immediately available.
Loyalist College has a labour negotiation update page as well.