Ontario passes legislation to end college strike and resume classes
Toronto, Nov 20 (IBNS): A legislation to end the Ontario college labour dispute and return students to the classroom was passed by Ontario on Sunday, media reports said.
Approximately 12,225 faculty members from 24 Ontario colleges including professors, instructors, counsellors and librarians started the strike on last Thursday.
“Students were in the middle of the strike for too long. We needed to put students first, and get them back to their studies. This legislation ensures students can get back to the classroom and refocus on their education,” Deb Matthews, Ontario Deputy Premier, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Digital Government was reported by the media to state.
In the meantime, the colleges have been instructed by the Ontario government to establish dedicated fund with net savings from the strike reportedly to support students who had experienced financial hardships due of the strike. This would be done with direct consultation with students.
The Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Labour Dispute Resolution Act, 2017, which governs the labour dispute between the College Employer Council and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) college academic unit, expired on September 30, 2017.
The mediator-arbitrator have the authority to determine and conclude a new collective agreement and in settling any related matter.
“Our government respects and believes in the collective bargaining process. It is only in special circumstances that government intervention should occur. Through all of this, our focus has been on students and their learning. We want to see students back in the classroom as quickly as possible so that they can continue their education while an agreement is reached,” Kevin Flynn, Ontario Minister of Labour was reported by the media to state.
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
Images: Deb Matthews: Twitter. Kevin Flynn:Facebook
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