Ontario college strike: what you need to know in eastern Ontario
College faculty are on strike across Ontario starting today, including four colleges in eastern Ontario: Algonquin, La Cité, St. Lawrence and Loyalist.
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.
La 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.
St. 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.
The 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.
