Cutting off debate by walking out of talks has been Council’s go-to tactic at all stages. When the going gets tough, Council channels the spirit of Eric Cartman and leaves the room, saying, “Screw you guys, we’re going home.” 

 

"I'm in support of the teachers.  I know why they're on strike. They're doing it for the greater good.

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Someone at the colleges knows, false news is being published on some of their sites, and they’re leaving the fake news out there.

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Needless to say, when the strike happened, I was angry and frustrated. Being on the line for 4 weeks, I now know why we're here. I am the anomaly. There are a few of us in the college system that don’t feel the downfall. Being on the line for 4 weeks made me acknowledge my ignorance and I apologize to all of my colleagues for this.

 

The college won’t hire full-time teachers to teach me, now I have to wonder, how am I going to get a full-time job if my teachers can’t. 

 

If we reject this bad offer, the colleges would be under tremendous pressure to get a deal done. We will be at the end of the 5th week of the strike at this point. Bargaining would almost certainly happen over the next few days with a deal likely being reached over the course of the weekend. From there, our union bargaining team would recommend the deal to our membership. At this point, we could all return to work before a ratification vote is held. Meaning we could be back in the class by approximately Wednesday the week following the forced offer vote.  

The point of all this is to say the following: The difference between having a deal that gets us nothing good in the long or short run, negates all the work done on the picket line, lets down the students who have been fighting for us and with us, and erodes quality education, as opposed to getting a deal that will benefit so many of us, is just one or two days. Just a couple days more to make everything we have been doing worthwhile. -full time professor

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I feel that much of the issue ultimately revolves around affordability. Niagara College, I believe has reputation of excellence and the teachers, understandingly, need to put pressure on the College to not only KEEP it that way but also improve that standing. The sorrow expressed by this teacher (editors note - see "Dear Student" blog post) , I feel, is sincere. Right from the beginning my sympathy was with the students. (I have a student granddaughter.) I have been proud of "our" college. I have taken courses there in the past. (I am 83 now and retired.) 

 

The college does not seem interested in my voice; they have not responded to me or any students hoping for a refund at this point. As a student nothing will bother me more than to hear you gave up by accepting the original offer. I currently feel strongly that faculty has a good reason to be on the picket line, or they wouldn't be there. So, If you can stand strong and help my struggles not be for nothing, I would be forever grateful. I know you all want to be back at work, I will continue to rally, yell, write letters until a fair compromise can me reached. 

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I simply stand behind my faculty. They are the ones who are there everyday and know what we encounter per our workload. I know the staff who teach for my program personally have the best interests in mind when it comes to their students. They expect of us what we expect of them. For that, they deserve my support. If it weren’t for my professors I would have given up on myself in this program already, due to my injury and struggles that come with it, and having the stress of school makes it so much worse. They are all great people and deserve everything they are asking for.

 

I am a student and have been personally affected by the current strike. One of the many issues that have been brought up is academic freedom. i am a student who is registered with accessible learning services and require accommodations due to it. I believe my professors know me and every student better then the college employer. They know what their students require and need in order to be successful. I remember even on the first day of my year of college my professors took the time to reach out to me and help me in any way they could and they still do. whether it’s during class after class, in their office or through email. They take the time to guide me through assignments step by step and make sure i have what i need with my accommodations when it comes to exams or assignments and if for some reason i don't they fight to make sure i do. I appreciate everything they did and still do for me. So thank you professors for everything and i hope to see you guys soon.

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This strike is as much for our students as it is for ourselves, for future generations of graduating classes who deserve stable employment, as well as other sectors which are seeing employers favour a gig economy simply to make more money. The questions we have to ask ourselves as Ontarians are these: are we comfortable living in a province where post-secondary education is staffed by faculty on precarious contracts with no stability? Can we accept the gradual “Walmartization” of Ontario’s economy? College faculty, I suspect, will say a resounding “no” when we vote on the College Council’s latest proposal. - excerpt of article written by a partial load faculty member, published on simcoe.com

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The order of importance in any institute of higher learning should be students, faculty and administrators, but, as within many organizational structures, the administrators have worked to reverse this order. Don't think this is limited to colleges. The University system is following suit, as unobtrusively as possible. As full time, career faculty retire, they are often replaced with either untenured Lecturers or Contract lecturers. Students are effectively paying more and more for less and less of the educational experience to which colleges and universities were once committed. Meanwhile, new layers of administration quietly appear, almost all full time, long term employment positions. The malady is widespread and pervasive.

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The ones who really are at a loss are us. My mother is a teacher for Ontario Colleges, and I completely understand why the strike is happening and why it is important. But we should have known befor enrolling into this semester, we had the right to be warned beforehand. Because from this point on, my education and my knowledge has been severly jeprodized and limited.

 

Keep up the good fight. This has to change and giving in to their ridiculous offer will only perpetuate the inequality and discrimination of the current state of part-timers. It helps no one. Although part-timers are passionate about good teaching and providing the best education possible to their students, they need to be able to make a living and feel that they are being fairly compensated for the work they do, which isn't happening now. Turnover of part-time staff is high for this reason. This is not helpful for students or even the full-time faculty coordinators who are constantly on edge wondering how many part-timers will they have to hire each semester. This must change!

 

As I understand it, one of the reasons for this strike is college faculty feeling as if they are underpaid. How can quality education be delivered if the professors and instructors aren’t properly paid? Are we to assume that the faculty is simply there because of a passion for teaching? I believe education is an investment by society in the future. So that the bright young minds of today will have the knowledge and skills required to be able to work together to solve the crises of tomorrow, the problems and trails of the 21st century. However, it seems to me, as we enter the third week of the strike, that the Ontario government disagrees with my ideas on education. The fact that we see colleges hiring short-term, seasonal contract teachers is evidence of that.

Is this truly the way the colleges should be operating? Paying so little to the instructors responsible for delivering the knowledge we need?  Should our society not come together to make this investment in the future? -from a student to the Premier, the CEC, the Union, and the Prime Minister

 

I admit that I was skeptical the first time a professor on the line told me “I love my job. I can’t wait to get back to teaching.” It was day three of the strike, and I thought “no, it can’t be, no-one loves their job that much”. She saw my disbelief and described what she loves about the job: the subject (her passion, even after years in the field), the students (for whom she goes above and beyond) and working for a non-profit college. She convinced me, but I thought maybe she was the exception. Nope. I’ve heard story after story, profs talking excitedly about their field, what they’ve done to improve their courses, their amazing students and how devastated they are to be forced into job action. I heard those stories in week one, then week two, and now week three. - student

 

By the time I pay my rent, buy groceries and maybe put a little bit away because I don't get a pension plan, it's a real struggle to make ends meet - contract faculty member

 

This strike has been referred to as unnecessary and even dangerous.  Since when has it been considered unnecessary to stand up for your rights?  Since  when has it been considered dangerous to identify problems in a public service institution and advocate for their improvement?  All faculty in Ontario Colleges are asking for is the ability to be able to do what they are in a position to do best.  That is to create and teach the subjects that they are experts in, in such a way as to challenge and inspire students. -faculty member

 

As I was picketing on the south side of University which gives me opportunities to ‎share my poster with the traffic and pedestrians on that side of the road, a beautiful thing happened! 

I met Ferrell, a WLU Student who was wearing headphones when I said "Good Morning". He stopped to ask what we hoped to gain by picketing. He heard we wanted $115K!

I told him it wasn't about $ but equal pay for equal work and job security for precarious contract part time faculty. 

He said he had no idea that was the case. I told him about the movie created by WLU and the stories of university faculty being in the same predicament as the colleges. 

He then said he totally agreed with our cause and asked how he could help!

He made my day when he said: I have nothing to do right now so will go watch the movie, contractfaculty.com. 

He then asked if he could help by spreading the word on social media and of course I accepted his generous offer. 

Just goes to show you that when opportunity knocks, and we share our legitimate cause(s), amazing things can happen!!!

There is no better cause than the one we fight today, tomorrow or for as long as it takes!  Fairness for contract faculty, librarians and counselors will ultimately benefit all, especially our students!

I hope to hear more "Good News" stories about all of our important causes...- faculty member

 

For 15 years, I carefully saved so that my granddaughter would be able to attend college. Now, my savings are being stolen by the College Employer Council (CEC) and my granddaughter is getting no education.

I want to know what the CEC is, how it came into existence, who its members are, how they are appointed and by whom.

Whoever they are, they are not negotiating at all, and they take home fat salaries while part-time staff struggle to make ends meet. I fully support the striking staff, and I also fully support the students. - grandmother

 

Today was supposed to be the day my Georgian College nursing colleagues and I walked across the stage and officially graduated. Even though this is not happening due to the college faculty strike, I think it's important to remember that attending today's graduation ceremony does not make us any more or less nurses. There are other ways that we can celebrate the amazing achievement that we've all worked so hard for. Our achievement is because of the great work we have put in over the past 2.5 years, but also because of the tremendous work of our wonderful instructors, and we owe it to them to make sure that they're able to come to an agreement and get the resolution that they DESERVE. I empathize with the faculty and if it means that they get what they deserve at the expense of our graduation, then I will gladly do without

 

 

Clearly all of you don't want to negotiate with our beloved teachers and this is insane.  Don't you understand that thousands of students right now are in a panic because of the unfairness you have decided to give our educators? -email from a student to the CEC

 

All of you are holding the education of half a million students province-wide hostage.  We do not wish to be treated like pawns.  You have a mediator in touch with you is that correct? ... I have put my dreams and future in your hands - please act on it. - student email to Don Sinclair 

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Stop hiding in the shadows and come to the table for our sake. - tweet from a student

 

I understand that the colleges really have little motivation to sit down right now.  After all, they have our money.  They are now not paying instructors.  It is win win for them right now.  But it is unethical and just plain wrong.  Your organizatiion is holding these students and their families hostage while you sit and do nothing.  That it even came to this point is beyond reprehensible.  I have to believe it is has clearly become more about money than keeping your staff happy and being sure you have the best instructors for these students.  -email to CEC from a parent

 

I just read President Tibbits' editorial.  Does he really think part-time faculty on average are paid $75 an hour and teach less than 7 hours per week? Please! Once you factor in curriculum building and grading?! I hate how the government and public orgs do this. They say that part-time and contract work is the norm in today's society and that's what employment is shifting to, but they themselves are the biggest perpetrators.  - grad 

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I read Conestoga’s response and I’m actually gutted and ashamed to say I’m one of their students. I’m not sure who is in charge of their messaging but it’s incredibly damaging. Instead of acting as a support to both their students AND faculty, they’re trying to change the narrative to shift the blame in order to better suit their needs. Very, very unprofessional. Our professors care and want us to be successful and I think it’s a shame that you’re all not being recognized for what you do for us. Without the teachers, we wouldn’t have the tools needed to gain employment opportunities upon graduation. It’s frustrating, but there’s support all around you. -current student 

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I wonder how much the college paid the author of that article?  Even if enrollment has increased for colleges, it's not because of "improvements" or anything by the colleges hand.  The college system is declining in quality quickly... My current program is heavily full time faculty and I'm super impressed.  My last program had more contract profs and all sorts of issues resulting from that.  - Facebook post

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Wow... I expected more from the institution I've spent thousands of dollars at.  Pathetic excuse for an institution of higher education. - Facebook post

 

This has got to be a joke. - Facebook post

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Well said! ... if they would only listen or read the President's words - Facebook post

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Colleges, universities, are all money mismanagement pits - Facebook post

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