Students Applaud Government Moving to an Open Ontario

Toronto, ON—This afternoon the Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable David Onley, delivered the Throne Speech signaling the beginning of the second session of the 39th Ontario Parliament as well as the opening of Ontario to the world, says the College Student Alliance (CSA).

“Students are pleased to hear the government’s continued commitment to the education and training of Ontarians,” says Justin Fox, President of the College Student Alliance. “Expanding opportunities and increasing access to postsecondary and training will ensure that Ontarians and Ontario are well prepared to meet the challenges of transitioning from the current recession into the knowledge-based economy.”

The Speech from the Throne unveils the government’s new five-year plan, Open Ontario, which will focus on tax moderation, innovation, green initiatives, exploration of northwestern Ontario and makes education a central component to improving the province’s economic strength. The plan commits to increase space for an additional 20,000 students to obtain a college, university or skills trade designation this year, increase international student enrolment in Ontario postsecondary institutions by 50 percent, the creation of an Ontario Online Institute all while improving the overall quality for all students.

“With such a bold vision set out by Open Ontario, students now await the 2010 Budget by Minister of Finance, the Honourable Dwight Duncan to see how the details will translate into transforming our education and training,” adds Fox.

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The College Student Alliance (CSA) is an advocacy and leadership organization, which has been proudly serving Ontario’s college and college-university students since 1975. The CSA currently represents 17 colleges and 25 member councils with over 135,000 full-time student members throughout the province.

For more information, contact:

Justin Fox
President
College Student Alliance
T: 519.972.2727, ext. 4524
C: 519.566.7211
E: president@collegestudentalliance.ca

Students Relieved: Can Finally Focus on Academics

A province-wide faculty strike has been averted  

Toronto, ON—This afternoon, Ontario’s college students finally received some positive news as the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) revealed the official count on the colleges’ final offer, says the College Student Alliance (CSA).  It is now official that Ontario’s college faculty have voted to accept the colleges’ final offer by a majority of 51.45% and avert a province-wide work stoppage.

 “Students are relieved to hear that their education and training will not be jeopardized this academic year due to a faculty strike,” says Justin Fox, President of the College Student Alliance.  “Students have been waiting for months to know for certain whether or not their education would be interrupted because of labour unrest.”

After nearly nine months of bargaining, a strike mandate and a vote on the college’s final offer, Ontario’s full-time professors, librarians, counselors and partial load instructors now have a new three year collective agreement.  On February 10^th, faculty unofficially voted 51.25% in favour of accepting the colleges’ final offer, but with such a narrow margin the OLRB was asked to provide the official results.  After taking ten days to review the ballots and include the segregated and mail-in ballots, the OLRB has reported that 4473 voted to accept and 4221 voted to reject the offer.

“The most important task ahead for both the colleges and the faculty will be to put any remaining issues and feelings behind them and get back to focusing on providing students and Ontarians with the education and training needed to prosper in today’s knowledge-based economy,” adds Fox.

For more information on the new agreement and for what students think, visit www.collegestrike.ca.

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Unofficial Results of Final Offer Vote

Yesterday, 77.28% of the full-time academic staff cast their ballot on the colleges’ final offer.  With a narrow majority, faculty have voted 51.25% to accept the offer and 48.74% to reject.  Because of the such a narrow margin and some mail-in ballots left to be counted the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) will have to release the official results, which will take approximately 10 days.

Until the official results are released everything remains the same.

For a college-by-college breakdown of the vote as well as other updates related to the current academic bargaining, visit www.collegestrike.ca.

Students Unite to End Current Academic Labour Unrest

Strong Academics + Strong Colleges = Strong(er) Students

Toronto, ON—College students from across the province are uniting to deliver a simple equation to both the colleges and the over 10,000 full-time academic staff, “Strong Academics + Strong Colleges = Strong(er) Students”. The College Student Alliance (CSA) and its members are launching the Strong(er) Campaign today to remind the colleges and the faculty of their shared role in creating strong students and graduates.

“With faculty set to vote on the college’s ‘final’ offer this week and the very real threat of a province-wide academic strike looming over the college system, students are concerned as their education hangs in the balance,” says Justin Fox, President of the College Student Alliance.

The Strong(er) Campaign was designed to remind everyone why colleges exist, it’s the students. If there were no students then there would be no need for Ontario’s 24 colleges and their campuses in over 100 different communities. Along with wearing the ‘Strong(er)’ bracelets students will be sharing their personal worries, frustrations and explaining how a strike would impact them. All of the stories and video pleas will be uploaded to our central strike information website, www.collegestrike.ca.

“Students are frustrated, angry and panicked as the colleges and the union have not been able to resolve their issues in eight months of bargaining,” adds Fox.

The CSA and students are urging all full-time and partial load professors, librarians and counselors to review the final offer being proposed; think about where the right place for their students is; and vote on Wednesday, February 10th. The result is too important for everyone concerned. All academic staff must go out and exercise their vote.

“It is time that our colleges get back to focusing on providing relevant and timely education and training to ensure that Ontario and Ontarians are able to recover from the recent recession rather than facing a potential province-wide strike,” adds Tyler Charlebois, Director of Advocacy.

For more information on the potential strike and its impacts on students, visit www.collegestrike.ca.

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The College Student Alliance (CSA) is an advocacy and leadership organization, which has been proudly serving Ontario’s college and college-university students since 1975. The CSA currently represents 17 colleges and 25 member councils with over 127,000 full-time student members throughout the province.

Just  reminder that as new updates becoming available regarding the faculty bargaining negotiations please check out our www.collegestrike.ca for the most current information; if you have a media request please contact Tyler Charlebois.

Students Still Fear a Province-wide Academic Strike

Toronto, ON—Ontario’s college and college-university students are demanding that both bargaining teams of the college’s academic staff and management go back to the bargaining table following yesterday’s province-wide strike vote, says the College Student Alliance (CSA).

“Students are seriously worried that in the near future they will be pulled out of their learning environments and faced with the academic staff walking a picket line,” says Justin Fox, President of the College Student Alliance. “Both sides need to remember that college students as well as the taxpayers are footing the bill and as such a greater emphasis must be placed on reaching a negotiated settlement.”

Yesterday in a province-wide strike vote, 57.03 per cent of Ontario’s full-time academic staff voted in favour of giving their union, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), a strike mandate and the ability to pull them off the job if negotiations don’t progress in their favour. Compared to the last round of bargaining’s strike vote, which yielded a voter turnout of 65.5 per cent with 80.4 percent voting in favour of a strike.

“The goal now must be for both sides to go back to the bargaining table and stay there until a new collective agreement is reached without a work stoppage,” adds Fox.

In anticipation of the results, concerned students and parents took to www.collegestrike.ca to vent their concerns, frustrations and fears of a potential province-wide strike. Collegestrike.ca was designed to give students and all concerned up-to-date information, the straight facts and a place for them to express themselves.

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The College Student Alliance (CSA) is an advocacy and services organization, which has been proudly serving Ontario’s college and college-university students since 1975. The CSA currently represents 17 colleges and 25 student councils with over 125,000 full-time student members throughout the province.

Please note these are the unofficial results, and questions can be directed to Tyler Charlebois.

To see previous news postings click here.