Ei-iE

A month-long strike has abruptly ended after the Ontario government passed legislation forcing college instructors back to the classroom days after the latest contract offer was rejected and a renewed call for negotiations was made.

The strike, which lasted 34 days, highlighted the issue of employment conditions, including part-time work. On Friday 17 November instructors turned down the last offer and urged the employer back to the table for continued talks.

School is set to resume Tuesday, November 21.

“After college faculty resoundingly rejected the latest contract offer, we had hoped the employer’s side would get serious about negotiating a deal that includes fairness for contract teachers and academic freedom for all college faculty,” said David Robinson, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), and affiliate of Education International (EI). “Unfortunately, the College Employer Council showed little interest in resolving these matters and saving the academic semester for nearly 500,000 students in Ontario. The blame for the Government’s decision to impost back-to-work legislation lies clearly with the Council.”