Down to the wire
Posted Aug 31, 2011 05:36:03 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Conestoga College students and their parents will be closely following the news today.
Support staff at Conestoga and community colleges across Ontario are poised to walk off the job at midnight if they don’t strike a deal on a new contract with the province today.
If you go by the comments of the union head made yesterday, the prospects for a settlement do not look good at the moment.
Warren Thomas, President of OPSEU, which represents some 8-thousand support staff across the province, said the latest offer from the province was at best a “barebones” offer that included concessions and clawbacks and that is unacceptable.
The union goes as far as to say it has little hope of reaching a deal soon.
It says while some issues have been ironed out, the key ones such as job security and wages remain unresolved.
Support staff include cleaners, food service staff and registration officers.
Also of concern is the status of college daycares, which are staffed by support staff.
They could be closed as well.
The latest statement on Conestoga’s website says “Conestoga intends to remain open in the event of a province-wide labour disruption by college system support staff.”
It goes on to say “Any such disruption does not involve faculty. As a result, Conestoga will strive to ensure that all scheduled academic activities will proceed.” Conestoga says it has a contingency plan in place.
Still, there are suggestions some teachers may not cross picket lines.
