www.cp24.caToday, at 2PM OPSEU will be holding a press conference to make an important annoucement related to the current round of bargaining and the lack of progress to a new collective agreement.
Stay tuned for more information later this afternoon.
CP24 will be carrying the press conference live (www.cp24.ca)
To Bernie,
That’s what they did before, 4 years. This strike is due to the same problems that was never fixed back then. The arbitrator came in, got paid and never did their job. So arbitrator, out the window.
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You have got to be kidding me. I have read most of the comments on here and some people are just as dazed as the Union and the Colleges. First off the Union is warning the part time and partial load and full time teachers that if they cross the line to teach then there will be financial reprocusions for them. The college is holding out for what? Neither side is right, so who wins and who loses ? I can tell you it is US the students.
Personally a class action lawsuit by the student populace would shake up both sides of the talks. Especially if you sue the collee for not providing a service that has been paid for and sue the union for interfering the education of the countries up and coming.
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This is bull!! No student can affort the cost associated with a strike! Of course the colleges made sure to collect tuition before the strike!!
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I think it is fair to say that we are all affected, Teachers, students, administration as individuals and that there is shared empathy for all those involved in some form or another. If a strike takes place, it will take place. The challenges that we will collectively face will still be there, Surely there is no one is really looking forward to facing them, but whatever is going to happen is going to happen. Having said that I am prepared to do what it takes despite what it looks like…nothing changes really. I made that commitment when I started school, I knew it was going to challenging right from the start…why is this any different? The situation may be different than I expected for sure, but overall the feelings and decisions I made at the beginning are fundamentally the same..perseverance, commitment…sometimes recommitting in the face of adversity. We’ve all been there at some point or another in school, in our lives. I am fortunate enough to have the instructors that I have in the field I want to be in. That is the only solution or me or I run the risk of letting this define me…I empathize with all involved, and hope that we face these challenges instead of them facing us.
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“We have a solution if the Colleges are serious about addressing our issues,” Montgomery said. “If they don’t want to negotiate in good faith or use the arbitration process, then it will be clear whose interests they are putting first…and it isn’t the students’.”
So if the colleges don’t care about our education, who are we supposed to side with? Clearly this is an attempt to say that all the blame lies with the colleges and OPSEU is on our side and has been all along.
I’d rather have someone not care about me than lie to me.
Oh, we’re completely on your side, it’s them who don’t like you. . . . are we in kindergarten?
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So, OPSEU offers to do the right thing and send everything off to an arbitrator so there will be no strike. The Council should accept this — it makes sense for everyone.
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So I heard that some teachers are no against a strike.
But we should have no mercy on them as if they voted for a strike and now they say that they chnaged their minds, well too late!
Thanks to them we are now going to be out of school for who knows how long!
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TORONTO – The union representing faculty members at 24 Ontario colleges has proposed a solution to avert a potential province-wide strike.
Today, the union announced a strike deadline of February 11, 2010 if the parties cannot reach a settlement on a new collective agreement.
However, Ted Montgomery, chair of the OPSEU bargaining team for the faculty, says that the union is willing to send all outstanding issues to binding arbitration if a settlement cannot be reached. If that happens, a strike can be avoided.
“First and foremost, we want to reach a negotiated settlement,” Montgomery said. “If the Colleges won’t bargain that, we are willing to send all our outstanding issues to binding arbitration. The Colleges, however, must agree.”
Montgomery says that while issues surrounding workload and academic freedom are of paramount importance, the union is also taking into account the impact on students if there is a strike.
“We have a solution if the Colleges are serious about addressing our issues,” Montgomery said. “If they don’t want to negotiate in good faith or use the arbitration process, then it will be clear whose interests they are putting first…and it isn’t the students’.”
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas says that while he is ready to back his members with the full weight of the union, a strike is not in everyone’s best interest.
“Even the Premier wants these negotiations resolved so that the education of Ontario students isn’t compromised,” Thomas said. “Our members are serious about backing their demands, but I believe that a solution can be reached. It’s up to the Colleges now.”
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Ont.College Teacher’s strike deadline set for Feb 11th-if no deal OPSEU will ask for arbritration.- key issue – still “workload”.
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So, they are delaying this again till Feb.11. Took them that long to tell us that.
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results please , hurry up , many students are forced to travel from far away places and they would like to be informed of the colleges decision to strike or not . Even though us students are looking forward to graduating in the spring and this college strike is unfair to us , we are eager to find out the fate or our education and out future.
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OPSEU cannot legally call a “Final Offer” vote, and The Council knows this. The Colleges Collective Bargaining Act allows OPSEU to call two kinds of vote (Strike and Ratification) and The Council to call one kind (Vote on Offer Received).
OPSEU will have no choice but to decline The Council’s “invitation” because the CCBA doesn’t allow it. So why would The Council demand that OPSEU hold a “Final Offer” vote when they know it is illegal? What is the name we use to describe people who want others to break the law to accomplish something they can do themselves? Think about it . . .
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Thanks for the update on where you can watch i was wondering. i got class at 230 so be nice to know when it happends.
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It would be nice to know asap if they are going to strike. Everyone has waited long enough for answers and the people who suffer the most are the students. Through out every college there are many parents who have to book childcare and not knowing what the end result is, we may loose our spot in the daycare or hand up paying when our children do not have to attend. We are the ones paying for the education so we should be kept updated. These decisions should not have to take this long.
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The way I see it this is all bullshit. Last year was the university and highschools. Now the college goes on strike. They say its not about the money when we all know it is. Its a continuous problem that keeps reoccuring each year. Ditch them all and give other people who need the job. The students who have second carear are going to get screwed because the government will not continue pay of their education. Teachers choose to strike now because of the amount of students that are getting a degree. Yeah hey let’s fuck students because we all know that the economics of the trade is gone, no jobs in Windsor. Let’s fuck everyone who tries to get further in life. I say “ditch the old and bring in the new” enough of the games that they keep playing. We have our rights to get an education. Why do they continue to take it from us? Answer is: because $100000/yr isn’t enough for teachers who can barely teach to begin with.
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It is ridiculous how long it is taking them to make a decision. It’s funny how we put thousands of dollars out to go to these schools and we get put to the side like this. Just make up your damn minds
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The way I see it this is all bullshit. Last year was the university and highschools. Now the college goes on strike. They say its not about the money when we all know it is. Its a continuous problem that keeps reoccuring each year. Ditch them all and give other people who need the job. The students who have second carear are going to get screwed because the government will not continue pay of their education. Teachers choose to strike now because of the amount of students that are getting a degree. Yeah hey let’s fuck students because we all know that the economics of the trade is gone, no jobs in Windsor. Let’s fuck everyone who tries to get further in life. I say “ditch the old and bring in the new” enough of the games that they keep playing. We have our rights to get an education. Why do the continue to take it from us? Answer is: because $100000/yr isn’t enough for teachers who can barely teach to begin with.
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I am so sick of these delays. The only reason why they keep putting this off is because they are trying to keep the teachers in the classrooms for as long as possible. If there is going to be a strike, just tell us, its not like we aren’t expecting it.
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@ Making a point..
If you’re going to correct others, make sure you’re right to start with.
“PS:
To the first poster from Mohawk, if your trying to make a point. please spell things correctly, or your point is ruined because you look like an idiot.
“I think the teachers need to think about the money and time students have put into there studies. not THEIR damn pay CHEQUES!””
Thanks
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This Really Blows, Now All Of My Plans Could Go Out The WIndow, I Understand Where The Teachers At My School Come From And What They Want But , Common Lets Get The Ship Rolling, And Sign A Deal…….
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We will find out in 60 minutes what they are going to do. Anyone know where you can find a live feed of this press conference or is this site gonna have a someone there blogging it?
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Will this be t.v?
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Yes, I will presume that some local media stations in TO will cover it. I would check out CP24, CBC and CTV.
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Well first off. The colleges are in a pretty bad situation, so it may come to a strike, but there isn’t too much that us students can actually do about this.
PS:
To the first poster from Mohawk, if your trying to make a point. please spell things correctly, or your point is ruined because you look like an idiot.
“I think the TEACHERS need to think about the money and time students have put into there STUDIES. NOT THERE DAMN PAY CHECKS!”
Thanks
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My teacher informed me that the semester will not be lost, nor extended, we simply go through march break. Really who cares? the teachers do a lot for us students, they deserve what they want. many people think that its just money but its not. really were only losing two weeks max, i think we can all handle it. Yes it will suck, but the semester will not be extended, just going over march break..
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if they decide to move further into this mandate they will have to vote again, we were told that this morning. the teachers will have to vote again this week and that will determine if they go on strike….this is all the teachers know at the moment.
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Relax, if there is a strike, it won’t last long, it will be like missing a couple classes, we’ll make them up, and everyone hopes and dreams wont be dashed. Cool it
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I feel this is very unfair to the students. They have not asked us what we feel and this strike, if it happens, will royally screw over my schooling which I really don’t want. I think the union is just being greedy. Both sides are being very immature and should just settle on something reasonable. Compromises are important and if they can’t do it now when it really matters a lot of others are going to be affected badly from it
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Does anyone know when the strike will take place? February? March? Next fall?
I asked my professor but he didn’t know.
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If they do decide to strike it would probably be in either late-February or March. They wouldn’t wait until next fall nor would they wait until the summer.
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THIS IS JUST GRRREEEEAAAAATTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ANGRYFACE.
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I am so tired of this seemingly endless yo-yo effect between the colleges and the union. They’ve been trying to reach a collective agreement since last year and they still have amounted to nothing. I have a feeling there very well will be a strike, and for the teachers and the union now would be the optimal time for them. It’ll hit us hard, I for one want to finish out my semester without the added stress of a strike but at this point I think a strike is inevitable…..I just hope they can just make up their minds already….
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This is ridiculous. I don’t want a strike for three weeks, just for them to extend the semester one week and cram everything we missed in those three weeks into the rest of the semester. Some of us our work load is heavy enough. If they cram that much more into our work for the rest of the semester, grades are going to slip, and any students already struggling in a class may very well fail.
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Opseu560.org
Another poster mentioned this on another article, but it does give a good insight to some of the salaries members are already receiving. Pretty bad that the Seneca college president is making over $400,000+
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I have to agree that this does look like a date announcement. Us, students, should take the opportunity to get caught up or get ahead. Talk to your teachers to see what work you can do over the strike. Take a break, then do what you can. Don’t squander the time.
Freaking out about it doesn’t help matters. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do, so I think we just need to do what we can. What that means is different for each student. For some(like myself), it means catching up on sleep debt then working on some assignments.
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I think the techers need to think about the money and time students have put into there study’s. NOT THERE DAMN PAY CHECKS!
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This is getting out of hand now I personally am in a program with only 5 weeks of school left then preceptorship we cannot afford to go on strike and put everything on hold. This union is greedy and screwing up our schooling time not to mention is this going to cost us anything? I certainly would not be able to pay for a third semester because certain people decide they dont make enough! The bargain they turned down would have made the highest salary over $100 000 thats tons of money how can you complain thats not enough!? Tuition is going up in september too so thats even more money how can you be so greedy and let students suffer when as someone mentioned above this school is for the students? On top of that I was told by several teachers they dont even want to strike its all the union who is deciding this!
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Frankly I just want them to tell us what’s going on. No more press conferences, just information. Why wait until 2:00 today when the end result is likely no different than it was a few days ago.
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I sorry but with the headline of 2pm press conference and they fact they are annoyed that nothing or minimal stuff was done, its the old saying Looks like a duck, smells like a duck, and talks like a duck. It’s gonna be either hey we are striking at this date or we are gonna bring it to a vote. Really they don’t have to prolong this chess game of scare tactics. Either go on strike already or wait till the summer. stop putting students in more stress than they already are.
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hey George Brown student, a strike wont ruin your future. don’t be so silly. look at the bigger picture and enjoy the time off when you get it.
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this is so sad,students going to affect due to their strike..my dreams and aims getting shuttered for the graduation
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We really can’t afford a strike right now. And I’m speaking for many people when I say, please make an agreement and don’t ruin our future.
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interesting…
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The strike is compromising the student’s, when last time I checked, the college was for the students, not the teachers and their union. Fed up!
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This is total crap! We are all in a huge deal of stress from this crap. Yeh i get that they want a raise. but lik… What about all those students that graduate this year? They get screwed over!
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This announcement is going to announce the Strike date… it’s posted all over the internet… So To all Students prepare for a Strike… SOON. Like they couldn’t announce this on Friday when they knew this all along…
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We don’t know yet what OPSEU will say at their press conference this afternoon…let’s not spread any unnecessary panic.
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Okay I am just getting annoyed with the fact that they can’t make up their mind. I support the union and the teachers. As a student a strike is annoying as heck…but some times it needs to happen when people don’t get what is needed. but please just make up your minds, i am tired of checking this site every hour!!!
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Looks like it’s a strike people
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