Category Archives: Strikes

CBC Toronto: College instructors won’t end strike without arbitration deal

The union representing Ontario’s striking college instructors has rejected a request to go back to work while negotiations continue over an arbitration process to end the dispute.
Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Chris Bentley made the request Thursday after the two sides agreed to sit down with the chair of the College Relations Commission – the arm’s-length body that oversees the 24 colleges in Ontario – to help the sides decide on how to end the strike.

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Mail Tribune: Rogue River teachers vote to support strike

Wearing orange buttons with black ribbons and a message stating “We Are United,” the district’s teachers on Thursday voted unanimously to support a strike.

“We had a 60-to-1 vote to approve the strike,” said high school teacher and negotiations chairman Joe Burns. “And the one person who didn’t vote ‘yes,’ said he’d definitely support the strike. We are unanimous.”

The teachers have been working without an approved 2005-2007 contract since July 2005. After seven months of failed negotiation attempts, the teachers said they were losing hope of finding a resolution to the contract dispute before the pending strike date of April 12.

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Detroit Free Press: Sick-day battle brews in Detroit schools

The day after one-quarter of Detroit Public Schools teachers called in sick, shutting down 54 schools, the warring teachers union and administrators retreated to their corners to reload.

Leaders of the Detroit Federation of Teachers met with their attorney Thursday in response to school officials’ threat that the 1,724 teachers who called in sick Wednesday would not be paid unless they have a doctor’s excuse.

Lekan Oguntoyinbo, spokesman for the district, said the point was to make teachers use their sick days responsibly.

“The behavior exhibited by the group of teachers who chose not to show up was injurious to our primary goal to improve and sustain academic achievement,” he said.

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Globe and Mail: McGuinty wants Ontario college students back in class

The Premier says if both sides in a college teachers’ strike care about students, they should resolve the dispute.

Ottawa Citizen: Premier wants college students in class Monday

The premier says if both sides in a college teachers strike care about students, they should resolve the dispute. Dalton McGuinty says it’s become obvious that the immediate issue is the arbitration process.
The teachers’ union and the colleges have agreed to arbitration, but not on what form it should take.
The union wants binding arbitration, but the colleges are insisting on “final offer selection,” in which an arbitrator chooses between the two offers. McGuinty says that’s not a legitimate reason to keep students out of class any longer, adding they should be back at school Monday morning. The strike, now in its third week, has more than 150-thousand students fearing they may lose their school year.

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Toronto Star: No charges after striking teacher hit by car

No charges will be laid after a collision involving a striking teacher and a car outside a Toronto college.
Police said today that they don’t believe the driver committed a criminal offence in the incident, which has left the 62-year-old teacher in hospital with life-threatening injuries.

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mykawartha.com: SSFC to students: There’s a plan

With the strike by Ontario colleges staff entering its third week as of Tuesday, Sir Sandford Fleming College administration has released a plan aimed at ensuring students won’t lose their semester as a result of the labour action.

“The plan right now exists in very general terms…it will exist in very specific terms when faculty are back,” explains Tony Tilly, president of Sir Sandford Fleming.

On Monday, colleges across Ontario released the details of their semester completion plans to ensure students will still be able to meet course requirements and graduate.

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Enfield Independent: Strike action looms: 3,000 council staff to walk out over pension concerns

A day of disruption will hit Enfield residents after council workers voted to strike over changes to their pension rights.

Council services could grind to a halt after 3,000 members of the public sector union UNISON agreed to stage a one-day walkout.

Schools could face closure on Tuesday and classes could be cancelled as support staff, dinnerladies and caretakers stay away.

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CBC: Ontario minister asks college teachers to end strike

Ontario’s minister of colleges and universities has asked striking college teachers to return to the classroom so 150,000 students can resume their studies.

Chris Bentley told reporters on Thursday that he has asked the head of of the commission that oversees the 24 colleges in Ontario to help the two sides decide on an arbitration method.

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Detroit Free Press: Teachers’ protest over pay cancels classes

More than 38,000 Detroit Public Schools students got an unexpected vacation day Wednesday after about a quarter of the district’s teachers called in sick after receiving a smaller pay check, raising concerns that the action could be the first in a series of disruptive protests.

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SooNews.ca: Students Want Colleges To Accept Union Offer

The Ontario Public Services Employees Union representing faculty at Ontario colleges including Sault College ,put forward an offer that could end the strike – but only if the College Compensation and Appointments Council accepts it.

“Voluntary binding arbitration, if accepted, would end the strike
immediately,” said Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson of the Canadian
Federation of Students. “Both parties would agree on an arbitrator who would, after a serious evaluation of the positions of both parties, provide an informed resolution to the dispute that has kept students out of their classes since March 7. This process would be trusted by both faculty and management and would bring the best results for all parties.”

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SFgate.com: Oakland teachers vote to authorize possible strike

Teachers in the Oakland Unified School District voted Wednesday night to authorize union leaders to call a strike, raising the stakes in a labor dispute that has dragged on for months.

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CBC.CA PEI: Talks break down at UPEI

Talks between UPEI and its faculty association broke down Tuesday afternoon. Faculty launched a strike Tuesday morning.

Both sides are reporting they are far apart on key issues: pay and workload. Faculty are seeking parity with other universities in the region and are complaining the administration is refusing to negotiate on that basis.

“We’ve got to look at the fiscal realities that exist here at UPEI,” says Ryan Johnston, who speaks for the university’s administration.

“You’ve got incomes from the province and you’ve got income from student tuition. Based upon those two factors you’ve got to work within those constraints, while at the same time noting that we have a valuable faculty here at UPEI that are committed to their work whom we want to give competitive wages to.”

At this point there are no talks scheduled between the two sides.

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UPEI Faculty Association strike info: Negoitations-at-a-glance

Radio@UPEI breaking news on UPEI faculty strike

The Guardian: UPEI faculty take dispute with school to the street—Talks called off on Tuesday as students try to make due without instructors

A strike by UPEI’s 375 professors and librarians stretches into a second day today, as talks Tuesday failed to resolve the dispute.

Faculty walked off the job early Tuesday morning.

Picket lines were set up at the two main entrances to the Charlottetown campus, off University Avenue and Belvedere Avenue, by 7:30 a.m.

Picketers were allowing students on the campus and were not interfering with vehicles trying to get onto the campus grounds or to the CARI pool, day-care centres or the clinics at the Atlantic Veterinary College.

Money and workload continue to be the outstanding issues.

The Journal Pioneer: Parent worried about UPEI strike

Summerside resident Bill Martin is a very frustrated and worried parent.
The faculty strike at the University of Prince Edward Island is into its second day today and Martin worries it could drag on for an extended period of time, even affecting his daughter’s chances of getting a summer job.

Blythe has been offered a job this summer, but that job could go to someone else if she isn’t available, said Martin.

Martin said his family had saved for years to allow Blythe to attend university. Blythe is in the second year of her biology program.

Martin added he had hoped the UPEI faculty association and the university would have ironed out their differences by now.

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CBCNews: UPEI hit by faculty strike

Faculty members at the University of Prince Edward Island walked off the job Tuesday morning over salary and workload issues.

Both the university and its faculty association met for about seven hours on Monday to try and hammer out a deal, but talks eventually broke down late in the evening. A picket line was set up at 7:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

“The administration did acknowledge that the association’s attempt to reach a deal did bring the parties closer to a settlement, but stated the salaries were too far apart,” said faculty association president Wayne Peters in a press release.

“The administration tabled a salary proposal earlier today which it felt was substantial. However, it was far from that.”

Money is the biggest issue, with the faculty demanding salaries on par with professors at other universities in the region. The association, which represents about 375 university staff, also wants a reduction in teaching workloads.

Despite the strike, it will be business as usual Tuesday at the university’s sports complex, and at Campus Kids Child Care Centre. The faculty association said it won’t obstruct traffic heading into the university, but the administration is telling people to expect delays.

“When it comes to the members of the public who might be going to the CARI centre or the day care, those services are going to be up and operating as normal,” Peters said.

“I want people not…to feel intimidated about the picket line. Our intention is to get our message out to people, pass out some flyers at the entrances.”

Classes for the university’s 4,000 students have been cancelled. However, the administration is telling students they will be writing exams and the semester will end on schedule.

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Toronto Sun: Man hit by car on picket line

TORONTO (CP) — A man was struck by a vehicle early today at a picket line outside a Toronto college.

The man was hit outside Centennial College in the city’s east-end by a car trying to get through a picket line set up by striking faculty, according to television station CITY-TV.

The report said the man, believed to be in his 50s, was taken to hospital by ambulance bleeding from the head.

It’s unclear if he’s a faculty member and there are conflicting reports as to whether he jumped on the hood of the car or was hit.

The incident occurred just hours before colleges and the union representing striking faculty members were to resume negotiations.

The talks are the first break in the impasse since the strike by 9,100 faculty at 24 college sidelined 150,000 students on March 7.

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AM 640 Toronto Radio: UPDATE: Colleges, Teachers Back at the Bargaining Table
Mar, 21 2006 – 6:50 AM

TORONTO – Talks have once again wrapped up between Ontario’s colleges and their teachers. The two sides were at the bargaining table for up to 13 hours on Tuesday, after a 12-hour session on Monday. There’s no word on whether any progress was made, but talks will continue Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a 62-year-old man injured in a picket-line accident outside Centenial College this week remains in hospital with a head injury. Police will announce on Wednesday whether charges will be laid in the case.

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The London Free Press: Unions back college strikers

Local unions picketed with striking Fanshawe faculty yesterday, as negotiations between community colleges and faculty restarted after two weeks of silence.

Dozens of union members from the auto, postal and education sectors showed up on the picket lines with flags and signs to show support for striking college staff.

“We’re coming together in solidarity to tell the community we support these teachers,” said London District Labour Council president Joe Wilson.

Though spirits on the picket line remain high after two weeks on strike, Tom Geldard, first vice-president of Local 110 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, said the local unions’ aid bolsters the strikers’ resolve.

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Govt, teachers look for common ground in pay row

The ACT Government and Canberra’s teachers will try to sort out their differences over a pay dispute today.

The Government and the Australian Education Union will meet face-to-face for the first time today since industrial action by teachers last week.

The Government has made two offers to teachers, including a 3 per cent pay increase, or a 4 per cent increase with New South Wales conditions.

But the union says the first option is too little and the second would mean job losses.

Teachers have already held a half-day strike and are planning rolling stoppages over the next few weeks.

Education Minister Katy Gallagher says she is considering using the new federal industrial relations laws if the dispute is not resolved by the time the legislation is enacted.

Canberra’s independent schools are also facing industrial action over a pay dispute with teachers.

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