Vanessa Del Carpio and Samantha Osaduke
Contributors
While an information picket is ongoing at Seneca College’s York campus—better known as Seneca@York—classes will begin on September 6 as scheduled, though services in some areas may be reduced or suspended.
Eight thousand community college support workers represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)—which include maintenance workers, food service workers, and classroom schedulers—took to the picket lines at Ontario colleges early Thursday morning. Seneca College administration have been working on support staff-related responsibilities such as registration, financial aid, and scheduling.
According to Alfonsina Chang, a Seneca College professor at the Centre for Human Resources, the lack of support staff on campus will have a negative impact on students and faculty members alike.
“This is unfortunate because the victims of this strike are the students,” says Chang. “September is always an exciting time for students with the start up of a new academic year, and this strike puts a dent into this excitement.”
“Hopefully these issues will be resolved sooner than later for the students’ sake.”
Students are confused and frustrated about the situation, but are showing support for the workers’ decision to strike.
“I really don’t have a say whether I think the strike is justified or not,” says Colin Blackburn, a Seneca@York student. “But I will say that if I were a part of the colleges’ support staff union, I would be willing to fight for any further benefits that can be given to make my life easier.”
That same feeling of confusion resonates at George Brown College.
“I don’t know […] it’ll be much harder for the new students to get around,” says Kathy M. Rad, a third-year student studying architectural technology at George Brown.
According to a press release on their website, the union decided to strike after management’s unwillingness to “withdraw several demands for concessions and claw backs to its existing contract,” and “reluctance to negotiate many of the union’s proposals.”
“We tried to reach an accommodation with management negotiators,” says Rod Bemister, chair of OPSEU’s bargaining committee. “But it became very clear as we approached the strike deadline, they were not prepared to meet us on terms we could accept.”
Along with a 6.1-per-cent raise over a two-year period, OPSEU is seeking to protect the job security of its current members along with the wages and benefits of future employees.
The College Employer Council’s latest offer, which expired August 31, included a 4.8-per-cent salary increase over three years with no concessions. This would increase the average support worker’s annual salary by $2,718 to just over $59,000 after three years.
“We want OPSEU to reconsider [the strike] and return to the table,” says David Scott, the College Employee Council spokesperson. “The colleges remain willing to go back to the table at any time to reach a settlement.”
“This is a very regrettable situation for students,” Scott continues. “Although classes will be held, there might be some delays in getting on campus and some line-ups for services. We ask that everyone be patient and give themselves some extra time.”
