Negotiations break down

Ontario’s colleges have called for striking faculty to vote on a final contract offer after talks to end the walkout, now in its fourth week, broke down again today.

The college employer council, which represents the province’s 24 colleges, says it has asked Ontario’s labour board to schedule the vote. It also wants the 12 000 college workers to suspend their strike in the meantime, something they say isn’t going to happen.

The issue revolves around academic freedom, that’s the ability for faculty to make decisions in their classrooms on a day-to-day basis.

“We are looking for the opportunity to share decision making with the faculty they are looking to control that process completely and in the college sector that doesn’t work, there are too many voices that need to be heard.” Ron McKerlie, Mohawk College President.

The college employer council is also calling on the union to suspend the strike in the 8 to 10 days it will take to organize the vote.

“That is something that no group on strike would ever do especially on an offer that we can’t recommend. That’s a ridiculous thing to ask.” Kevin MacKay, Mohawk professor and negotiator.

About half a million students have been impacted by this strike, college’s are making plans to save the semester.

“It is obvious now given the number of weeks that we have been out that we are going to have to extend the semester, probably now beyond December and into January.” McKerlie.

After three weeks away from the table, negotiations had resumed last week at the urging of Advanced Education Minister Deb Matthews, who asked both sides to get a deal done. In a statement today Matthews said the government wants to see students return to the classroom as quickly as possible but wouldn’t comment further.

The college council release says the latest offer includes a pay raise, greater rights and job security for contract faculty and a commitment to “enhancing full-time employment opportunities” for contract workers.