More layoffs at Mohawk College. This time it's 91 full-time and over 100 part-time jobs lost

Mohawk College has announced more layoffs. This time it's 91 full-time and over 100 part-time jobs lost.

It was the third of three announced rounds of layoffs at the college. The 91 full-time jobs represent about 20 per cent of the full-time faculty. 

Mohawk is also cutting part-time faculty, impacting more than 100 workers, the college said. 

This round of layoffs was focused on faculty. The first cut administrative positions and the second cut support staff jobs. 

The college sent out layoff notices on Tuesday, spokesperson Sean Coffey said.

"These layoffs are heartbreaking. Faculty did an excellent job teaching our students and they shouldn't be the ones losing their jobs in a situation that is entirely avoidable," said Heather Giardine-Tuck. She's the president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 240, which represents Mohawk faculty.

Both the college and the unions representing workers blame the cuts on a lack of provincial government funding, and limits on international students, largely driven by the federal government. 

In a November email, Dayna Smockum, a spokesperson for Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Nolan Quinn, said "funding for post-secondary institutions is higher than it's ever been," adding the province invested $1.3 billion to "stabilize the sector" earlier that year.

At the time, Immigration Minister Marc Miller's office told CBC Hamilton the international student visa program "had become overheated and misused in certain regions, including Ontario."

Mohawk president Paul Armstrong announced the employer would be laying off workers in November, saying the college was staring down a projected $50 million deficit.

WATCH | Provincial underfunding, federal changes blamed for troubles, president says:

Mohawk College's president explains why the college is facing a $50M deficit

3 months ago

Duration 1:20

Mohawk College's president says the college is facing a $50 million deficit mostly due to dropping international student enrolment.

Mohawk eliminated 34 full-time faculty positions this week, mostly in business and creative industries, which Coffey said was in line with program suspensions the college announced in December.

"Students currently enrolled in these programs will not be affected by these changes as the impacted faculty will continue to teach until the end of the semester," he said.

Thirty full-time faculty members took voluntary retirement packages and the college cut 27 positions through vacancies, Coffey said.

In total, Mohawk cut 255 full-time jobs across all employee groups since Dec. 3, Coffey said, representing 20 per cent of the college's full-time workforce. Mohawk also cut 35 more jobs by ending contracts. 

Each round of cuts affected about 20 per cent of jobs in that employee group. Armstrong had said job losses would be felt evenly.