Algonquin College students stressed as strike deadline nears

Students at Algonquin College are anxiously waiting to find out whether their academic year is about to be interrupted by a province-wide faculty strike.

The union representing 12,000 full- and part-time staff at 24 colleges across Ontario has set a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. Monday, right in the middle of the fall semester.

It's stressful because we don't know how long they could be on strike for, and  how long we could be out of school for.- Julia Dundas, Algonquin College student

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) said it's looking to give both faculty and students more of a voice in academic decisions, and put an end to what it calls "ongoing exploitation of contract faculty."

But students are voicing concerns about the possible strike.

'I'm really stressed'

"I'm really stressed about it because we're supposed to have midterms coming up and this strike could impact midterms and other assignments that are due," said Julia Dundas, 18, a student in the child and youth care program at the college.

"It's stressful because we don't know how long they could be on strike for, and  how long we could be out of school for."

Dundas said she`s also concerned she won't have much of a Christmas break if classes are forced to go later into December or start earlier in January.

"I don't want to be having to worry about coming to school earlier or going later," she said. 

"I'm just hoping for the best, and that they can resolve it quickly," said Alexander Rousseau, a student in Algonquin's game development program.

Rousseau said he's planning to keep up with his work, even if his professors go on strike.

"Honestly I wouldn't want to come back rusty, especially with programming. Stuff like that can slip really easily. So, I'd be a bit worried about falling behind," he said.

Academic freedom, equal pay 

With the strike deadline looming, JP Hornick, chair of the union's bargaining team, expressed surprise that negotiators for the college walked away from the table Tuesday night.

OPSEU believes faculty should have the freedom to make decisions in the classroom, while academic senates or a collegial governance bodies composed of faculty, administrators and students make college-wide decisions.

OPSEU also wants colleges to have a 50-50 split of full- and part-time faculty.

"[So that] you have the ability to predict your staffing levels and respond to students, but also the flexibility to bring in new ideas and innovation and people coming directly from industry," Hornick said.

College president reassuring students

Algonquin's president, Cheryl Jensen, said at least half the college's staff is full-time. Jensen also said the college already has policies on academic freedom and intellectual property, and doesn't believe it should be a bargaining issue.

She also tried to reassure students concerned about missing class.

We will be working very hard to make sure they complete their year in as least disruptive way that we can.- Cheryl Jensen, president of Algonquin College

"I know it's a lot to ask people not to worry too much at this point. I'm still hopeful that we won't even be out on Monday, but we will be working very hard to make sure they complete their year in as least disruptive way that we can," Jensen said.

Jensen said the college is developing a plan to minimize disruption in the event of a strike, but wouldn't elaborate on those measures Wednesday.