Faculty strike? Here’s what you need to know

As news of a potential faculty strike began to make its way through Algonquin College’s campus, some students started to worry.

Sam Beamish is a first-year bachelor of information technology networking student. His program is collaboration between Algonquin College and Carleton University.

“Am I going to go to my Carleton classes for the two weeks, month, however long, but not have my Algonquin classes?” said Beamish.

“There’d be a big disconnect in my learning and I feel like I’d be on some weird uneven ground.”

He first caught wind of the situation from his professor and noticed the topic was spoken about discretely.

“I thought it was interesting that I was the only one that was told,” said Beamish. “How does that affect me as a class rep?”

Beamish said his peers would approach him seeking clarification, but due to insufficient information he was unable to answer their questions. Beamish said he tries to keep up with the updates as often as possible with his busy schedule.

A strike mandate vote was held from Oct. 15 to 18, with a turnout of 79 per cent of Ontario college faculty who voted in favour of proceeding with the strike mandate.

The faculty bargaining team held the vote because of the stalled discussions with the College Employer Council (CEC).

“It is our hope that the results of the vote sends a clear message to the CEC that we will not bargain concessions that seek to walk back our collective agreement rights,” said Tracy Henderson, the president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 415, which represents faculty at Algonquin College.

Algonquin College’s faculty consists of more than 900 full-time and part-time professors, librarians, counsellors and instructors.

According to Henderson, the faculty union works under a collective agreement that lasts up to four years. Currently, members are working under an agreement that expired on Sept. 30, 2024.

Since July, the two parties have been at odds over a new collective agreement. The union has said it’s concerned about wages, workload and employment stability as it negotiates a new contract with colleges.

Graham Lloyd, the CEO of CEC said the CEC sees the union’s 100-plus demands and large increases to costs as unworkable and unrealistic.

Henderson said the union believes the CEC avoided bargaining for a fair and negotiable collective agreement.

The CEC and the college’s faculty bargaining team have participated in four days of conciliation.

So what happens now?

They have agreed to proceed with mediation. The process involves a mediator listening to the bargaining team’s proposals and the CEC’s adjustments.

“The proposals put forward by the faculty bargaining team are reasonable and necessary for faculty to continue to provide our students with the level of quality education you (students) deserve,” said Henderson. “Our working conditions are your (students) learning conditions.”

Henderson said the union has decided not to escalate any labour actions while the mediations take place.

“We remain hopeful that the parties can come to a fair, negotiated collective agreement through this mediated process,” she said.

Henderson is not the only person hoping for a positive outcome. Lloyd feels the same way.

“The CEC would like to reach an agreement with the union and negotiate a new collective agreement without disrupting student learning,” he said. “We optimistically believe mediation will help the parties achieve a new collective agreement.”

Both parties will be participating in a non-binding mediation from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8, in hopes that a neutral third party will be able to help the two sides come to an agreement.

Lloyd said there will be no strike during the fall semester due to the procedures and the process occurring within the timeline of the negotiations.

Beamish, who was worried about a potential strike happening during the fall semester, he said he supports the faculty’s cause.

“I understand that some of them (faculty members) may be underpaid, and they feel underrepresented, and I want them to have that equal representation,” said Beamish. “I don’t want it to go to a strike, but if that’s what needs to happen for them to feel represented fairly, then more power to them.”