Ontario Teachers Strike Info

2006-03-26T07:45:00.000-05:00

End of this Blog!

The 2006 faculty strike at Ontario colleges is over. That means this blog ends too, but not without a sincere thanks to all those who came to visit, making this web page the most popular online resource for finding information relating to the strike.

It has been a pleasure serving you.

Ben.

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2006-03-26T07:27:00.000-05:00

Tragic News as Faculty Strike Ends

An accounting professor injured in a picket line incident on March 20th has died. 62 year old John Stammers suffered head injuries after falling from the hood of a car as it drove past a group of pickets at a Centennial College campus in Toronto.

After reviewing surveillance tapes, police ruled out charges saying the driver of the car did not commit a criminal offence. Since the incident, Stammers' union local has received a stream of sympathy cards and emails.

"John was a wonderful colleague," wrote Eileen Burrows, the president of OPSEU local 558, in a statement issued late Saturday afternoon. "He was very popular with students. He was always patient. He always gave them all his time and attention. And he always took an interest in making the college work better for students."

Read the full CBC News article here.

See the OPSEU news release here.

2006-03-24T22:36:00.000-05:00

Back to Class!

The 2006 faculty strike at Ontario community colleges is over. On Friday, college management and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union signed an agreement resolving all outstanding issues over the process that will be used to forge a new deal - voluntary binding arbitration.

"It took two days for the employer to agree to our proposal, but the strike is over," said Ted Montgomery, the chair of the faculty bargaining team. "We are very pleased that the improvements to education quality that we have been fighting for will now be dealt with by an arbitrator who will consider our proposals, and the employer’s, on their merits."

The announcement means 150,000 college students will be back in the classroom next week. "This is great news," Joy Warkentin, chair of the bargaining committee for the 24 colleges told reporters. "The strike is over and everybody wants to be back in the classroom."

On Friday, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty called for a quick end to the strike. "There is no legitimate reason to keep young people outside of their classes," the premier said. "I'm asking both sides, please work together and make that happen."

Official Statements & News Releases

See the statement on OPSEU's website here.
See the OPSEU news release here.
Find the NUPGE News Release here.

Media Stories & Commentary

Read the CBC News article here.
Read the Canadian Press article here.
Find the CTV News story here.
Link to the Toronto Star article here
Find the Toronto Sun article here.

2006-03-24T09:37:00.000-05:00

Student Impatience Rises

On day 18 of the strike by Ontario community college faculty, there are signs that some students are growing tired of waiting and wondering what will happen to their semester.

"There's only so much readying you can do," second year Algonquin College student Tiffany McCaul told the Ottawa Citizen.
See the Ottawa Citizen story here.

At a student rally in Sault Ste. Marie, student Meghan Felix said her education is ruined. She told Soonews.ca that as a Manitoba resident who chose to get an education at Sault College, there won't be enough money for rent and expenses if the current school year is extended, and no chance of an additional student loan, when she returns in the fall.
Read the Soonews.ca story here.

In an editorial in the Toronto Star, student Jessica Klinkenberg said the teachers' union didn't stop to ask what students wanted. "That's my diploma they're playing hot potato with," wrote Klinkenberg. "That's my certification of authenticity they're holding hostage."
Read the Toronto Star editorial here.

No Additional Rent in Residence: Sir Sandford Fleming

Sir Sandford Fleming College will let students living in residence stay at no additional cost, if their semester is extended due to the strike. College president Tony Tilly says students shouldn't have to worry about finding a place to live. He says those those living off campus should contact their landlords as soon as possible.

"I'm hopeful landlords understand students are in circumstances beyond their control and will extend their leases two or three weeks," Tilly told reporters.
Read the full story at MyKawartha.com.

Student Group Calls for Quick Return to Class

Echoing the growing financial concern of college students, Ontario's largest student group is pushing for an immediate resumption of classes while OPSEU and the colleges argue over what form of binding arbitration to use in reaching a settlement. The College Student Alliance says there's still time to save the semester, if some quick action is taken.

"Both sides now need to think of the students and what is best for them," said Alliance President Matt Jackson. "The CAS wants students back in their classroom or learning environment by this Monday at the latest."
See the full story here at MyKawartha.com.

Labour Unites Behind Striking Faculty

It was clear from the rallies at each college campus on Thursday that striking teachers, counsellors and librarians have the backing of big labour. At Algonquin College in Ottawa, Larry Brown, the national secretary treasurer of the National Union of Public and General Employees, praised striking faculty for taking a strong stand for the quality of education.

"You have the support of the 340,000 members of your national union," said Brown. "In particular, college educators from across Canada want to send you a strong message of solidarity.
Read the NUPGE news release here.

2006-03-23T13:28:00.000-05:00

Striking Faculty Hold Out For 'Fair' Arbitration Process

Standing firm in the face of calls to end the 17 day strike at 24 Ontario community colleges, striking faculty say the picket lines won't come down until there's a clear agreement on voluntary binding arbitration.

When mediated talks broke off on Wednesday, the bargaining team for college management requested an arbitration method using 'final offer selection," a winner-take-all system the union describes as "tantamount to flipping a coin." OPSEU insists on voluntary binding arbitration, the same process used to resolve two previous college faculty strikes.

Tonight, striking faculty held rallies at college campuses across the province to show their willingness to fight on. 9,100 professors, counsellors and librarians walked off the job on March 7th, putting the semester on hold for 150,000 college students with about seven weeks left in their studies.

Today, both the colleges and the McGuinty government urged union leaders to end the strike so that classes could resume. But OPSEU says too much is at stake. "We are not in a position to take down picket lines without a clear agreement on voluntary binding arbitration," states Ted Montgomery, chair of the union's bargaining team.

Read the latest statement from the colleges here.

Find the OPSEU news release here.

See the CTV News story here.

Read the Toronto Star article here.

2006-03-23T12:19:00.000-05:00

Bentley: Get Students Back to Class

Ontario Colleges and Universities Minister Chris Bentley says it doesn't make sense to keep students out of class any longer, now that both sides in the community college dispute agree a settlement can only come through arbitration.

"I'm suggesting the pickets should come down. The faculty should return to work. The students should get back to class," Bentley said at a morning news conference.

Three days of negotiations ended yesterday with each side calling for a different form of arbitration to settle their long-running contract dispute.

Today, OPSEU negotiators rejected college management's proposal for 'final offer selection,' where an arbitrator looks at the proposals from each side and selects one. OPSEU says binding arbitration is the only option, where an independent party creates a final contract with elements from each proposal.

"Mr. Bentley indicated that the parties have agreed to arbitration," said OPSEU chief negotiation Ted Montgomery. "We have not. The union proposed arbitration. Management is insisting on final offer selection, a process that is tantamount to flipping a coin.

"We are not in a position to take down picket lines without a clear agreement on voluntary binding arbitration," added Montgomery.

Read the news release from OPSEU here.

Read the Toronto Star article here.

9,100 Ontario college professors, counsellors and libraries walked off the job March 7th, to back demands for smaller classes and more faculty. The strike has meant cancelled classes for nearly 150,000 college students, in the final stretch of the winter semester.

2006-03-23T11:13:00.000-05:00

OPSEU Asks McGuinty to back Binding Arbitration

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union wants Premier Dalton McGuinty to support a union plan for ending the faculty strike at 24 community colleges. At a news conference in Toronto this morning, union leaders formally rejected a proposal by the colleges to settle the dispute through 'Final Offer Selection," a type of arbitration where an independent third reviews both proposals and picks one.

"We've consulted our experts, we've looked at the case law, and it's obvious to us that final offer selection is tantamount to flipping a coin," Ted Montgomery, the chair of the union bargaining committee told reporters. "The issues at stake here are too complex and too important, to be settled in such a fashion."

Instead, OPSEU wants the premier to endorse binding arbitration, a system where an independent party reviews the latest proposal from each side, before creating a final contract with elements of each. It's the system that was used to resolve two previous community college strikes in Ontario, back in the 1980's.

"The Premier needs to put his support behind voluntary binding arbitration as set out in the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act so that all matters in these negotiations can be carefully considered by an arbitrator," said Montgomery.

See the full news release from OPSEU here.

Ontario Colleges and Universities Minister Chris Bentley is expected to weigh in on the impasse, at a news conference now underway at Queen's Park. If the negotiating team for Ontario colleges agrees to pursue binding arbitration with the union, union leaders say 150,000 community college students will be back in the classroom within a few days.

2006-03-23T08:01:00.000-05:00

New Battle Brews Over Arbitration

They can't even agree to disagree. After three days of mediated talks failed to produce a deal, OPSEU and the Ontario Colleges are now haggling over the style of arbitration to end the 16 day old faculty strike and bring 150,000 Ontario college students back into the classroom.

Last night, a short time after declaring that a negotiated settlement would not be possible, Ted Montgomery, the chair of the union bargaining committee urged the colleges to agree to a binding arbitration process. He said with that commitment, teachers would halt picketing immediately and let classes resume in the interest of saving students' semester.

College management insists on final-offer arbitration. The College Compensation and Appointments Council says an arbitrator should look at the proposals put forward by both sides and choose one. Management bargaining committee chair Joy Warkentin says it would be unacceptable to do as the union suggests and have an independent third-party "cherry pick" aspects of each offer.

She also said it was time to resolve the strike, immediately. "It is irresponsible for OPSEU to allow this strike to go on any longer," said Warkentin in a statement issued this morning. "OPSEU must agree to end the strike." She also called on the union to put the colleges "very generous and comprehensive offer" to a vote by the membership.

The union shrugged off the suggestion of a vote, but Montgomery said OPSEU would announce Thursday whether to accept management's arbitration strategy, and end the 2006 faculty strike. Montgomery rejected the notion that management's pledge to hire an additional 120 staff over the life of the contract, amounted to an improved contract offer.

"Over the last three years the colleges hired an additional 291 faculty just to accommodate growth," said Montgomery. "This offer could actually reduce hiring at the very time that the ministry has announced that it will be launching a major initiative to increase college enrolement."

As the strike drags on, pressure is mounting on the McGuinty Government to step in and end the dispute with back-to-work legislation.

Read the news release from College Negotiatiors here.
Find Ted Montgomery's remarks at the OPSEU news conference here.
See the Toronto Star article on the latest contract talks here.
See the London Free Press on the strike here.
The Ottawa Sun article can be found here.

Student Organization Backs Union Plan

The Canadian Federation of Students is urging community colleges to accept OPSEU's request for binding arbitration. In a statement today, the Federation said arbitration would bring an immediate end to a damaging strike.

"This process would be trusted by both faculty and management, and would bring the best result for all parties," said Jesse Greener, the Ontario chairperson for the Federation. He adds that back-to-work legislation would be the worst possible outcome.

"Before becoming law, back-to-work legislation must go through three readings in the Legislature, not to mention possible committee hearings," said Greener. "Given that Thursday is budget day, this option can only prolong the strike and keep students out of their classes unneccessarily."

The Canadian Federation of Students said college management's proposal to use final-offer selection is flawed. "Clearly both sides have rejected the latest offers, so forcing an all-or-nothing decision is merely a game of brinkmanship that won't address the real issues of the dispute - quality."

Read the full news release from the Canadian Federation of Students here.

Union Locals Prepare to Rally

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union will put on a show of force today at all 24 community colleges in the province. Each OPSEU local has invited members of other education unions to participate, along with members of the Ontario Federation of Labour and local labour councils.

"We're fighting for what every Ontario education worker wants: the ability to deliver quality education to the students in our system," OPSEU President Leah Casseman said in a news release issued Thursday. "After witnessing a decade of decline in our colleges, OPSEU members have decided to take a stand for smaller classes, more full-time faculty, and more faculty time with students."

See the news release send to union leaders here.

Algonquin College To Enlist Part-time Instructors for "Semester Completion Strategy"

In Ottawa, Algonquin College has released details of the plan to assist students in completing the semester, despite the faculty strike. College President Robert Gillett says it will mean collaboration between academic management and part-time teachers to provide curriculum and grading.

"We don't know when our faculty are going to be back so we have to have something for our students to do that could be evaluated to help them with completing their winter semester," Gillett told reporters. He said most programs would be completed by the end of April and no student would lose their year.

Read the Ottawa Sun article here.

2006-03-22T17:14:00.000-05:00

Talks Break Down, Faculty Strike Continues

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says talks have ended with Ontario's 24 community colleges. In a statement late this afternoon, union negotiators called for binding arbitration to try and settle a long-running contract dispute.

Teachers have been on strike since Mar. 7 to back demands for more faculty and a lighter workload. OPSEU is currently holding a news conference at Toronto's Royal York hotel to explain its position. It's asking management to back its request for binding arbitration, after three days of mediated talks failed to produce a deal.

"It is now abundantly clear to us that no negotiated settlement is possible with the current management bargaining team in place," said Ted Montgomery, the chair of OPSEU's negotiating committee. "In the interest of saving our students' semester, we are calling on management to agree to binding arbitration as outlined in the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act."

Montgomery also took aim at the colleges' "Semester Completion Strategies," some of which were unveiled earlier this week. "There is not the faintest hope those Strategies will actually save the semester," he said. "Without faculty to deliver courses, assign tests, and evaluate studentds, any credits students might receive would not be worth the paper they are printed on."

See the full OPSEU news release here.

See the Toronto Sun article here.

2006-03-22T15:55:00.000-05:00

Police Rule Out Charges in Faculty Picket Incident

Toronto Police have decided against laying charges after a faculty member at Centennial College in Toronto suffered severe head injuries on the picket line, Monday. 62 year old John Stammers, a striking accounting professor, remains in critical condition in hospital after he came into contact with a car that was being driven across the picket line.

After reviewing video tape from Progress Campus and interviewing witnesses, investigators said today that no charges would be laid against the young male driver of the car. At the time of the incident, there were some reports that Stammers jumped on to the hood of the car just as it was driving away.

See the full story on CBC News Online here.

2006-03-22T12:52:00.000-05:00

Strike Hits Hard for Students in Joint University-College Programs

Life just got a little more complicated for some students in programs offered jointly by the University of Toronto and two Ontario colleges. Today U of T issued a "declaration of disruption" for students in eight programs. In a statement the university said the declaration, which is mandatory under the grading practices policy, is a result of the ongoing college faculty strike.

"Not all students in these joint programs are affected by the disruption," wrote vice president and provost, Professor Vivek Goel, in a memo released today. "Students who are affected will be contacted individually."

"Students in joint programs affected by the strike will receive messages outlining procedures and what may occur if their program is affected," wrote Goel, adding that "U of T is committed to ensuring minimal disruption and to ensuring students complete their courses."

Currently, U of T operates five programs jointly with Centennial College in Toronto and three with Sheridan College in Oakville.

See the University of Toronto announcement here.

2006-03-22T12:42:00.000-05:00

Sault College Outlines Worst Case Strike Scenario

In Sault Ste. Marie, students at Sault College are getting their first peek at an "Academic Recovery Plan" created by administrators. The three page plan handed out at an information session yesterday, offers three scenarios for what Students might expect, when and if there's a resolution to the strike.

Here's a quick summary of each scenario:

Scenario 1 - Strike ends before Fri. Apr. 7
-professors to determine how outcomes are met before Apr. 28, 2006
-exam week cancelled
-students permitted to withdraw without academic penalty within 10 days of resumption of classes

Scenario 2 - Strike end after Fri. Apr. 7
-if classes resume on Apr. 17, semester extended to May 12
-if classes resume on Apr. 24, semester extended to May 19
-if classes resume on May 1, semester ends May 26
*all scenario 1 provisions also apply

Scenario 3 - Strike ends after Fri. Apr. 28

For graduating students:
-classes resume at the end of strike, at a date to be determined
*all scenario 1 provisions also apply

For non-graduating students:
-classes will resume with a revised schedule in Fall 06

Additional options for students:
-students may apply for early leave if they can demonstrate achievement of outcomes through studies and assignments during out-of-class period
-students may elect to withdraw without academic penalty up to 10 days following resolution of strike
-students may opt for guaranteed seat in same program in same semester of next academic year
-students may be eligible for tuition refund once ministry policy determined

Get the full story Sootoday.com story here.

2006-03-22T10:39:00.000-05:00

Sir Sandford Fleming Unveils 'Semester Completion Strategy"

Students at one Ontario college are getting more information on a management plan to help them complete their semester, despite the faculty strike.

Today, Sir Sandford Fleming President Dr. Tony Tilly offered a series of steps to ensure the completion of studies, among them:

-a compressed semester from 7 weeks to 5 weeks
-extended school days for some courses
-additional night courses for some programs
-a combination of: independent self-directed work for some students, assignment, labs, exams, on-line delivery and assessment

In addition, Sir Sandford Fleming encourages students to document any placement work and project work, and keep a journal of any work completed during the strike. Tilly says the college will offer additional support services and extend lab and library hours.

"The plan right now exists in very general terms, Tilly is quoted to have said by myKawartha.com. "It will exist in very specific terms when faculty are back," he added.

See the full article in myKawartha.com here.

25 Hours and Counting!

After two marathon bargaining sessions, both sides in the dispute at Ontario community colleges have agreed to return to the table for a third straight day. Negotiatiors for OPSEU and college management met with a provincial mediator for 13 hours on Tuesday. That's an hour longer than the session on Monday, the day talks resumed for the first time in two weeks.

A media blackout is in effect while talks continue at Toronto's Royal York Hotel. It's day 15 of the 2006 strike at 24 Ontario community colleges.

2006-03-22T09:46:00.000-05:00

Union Local Pokes Fun at Management as Instructors

Humour is often considered to be good medicine during a labour dispute, and today OPSEU Local 556 at George Brown College delivered a few laughs to striking faculty with it's bulletin; "Management's Theory of Education."

It's a funny and somewhat pointed jab at the college's "Semester Completion Strategy," built on the concept that management will be able to step in to help students complete their semesters, delivering 7 weeks of content in just 3.

The story quotes Makim McPhit, an imaginary manager at George Brown College who offers to explain how administration plans to do it. McPhit offers a series of rather unconventional teaching approaches, each of them based on a 'business model,' including what he describes as the 'barn door' theory.

"Now the third revolution in education is perfecting the barn door theory of teaching. You know, you throw some dung at the barn door; if it sticks, it sticks. If it doesn't, it doesn't. This is basic. Only we've revolutionized it by reducing and oversimplifying material into little nuggets of know-how, and then massaging them with marketing techniques. That way you throw less at the barn door, and what you do throw sticks better."

Link to the full OPSEU Local 556 'interview' here.

Editorial Slams College Leadership

From OPSEU Local 244 at Sheridan College in Oakville, a stinging editorial aimed at management.

"Where are managers who should be LEADING the charge to Queen's Park," it asks. This strike has shown me that after 30 years civil servants, who receive over $100k avoid confrontation by blaming faculty and the system, while they sit behind closed doors, afraid to lead a crusade for quality, which was why they were appointed in the first place."

The article points to what it describes as the 'absurdity' of managers as teachers, suggesting that teachers ARE the only real "Semester Completion Strategy."

Read the full editoral from Local 244 here.

A Warning to Part-Time College Faculty in Ottawa

OPSEU Local 415 in Ottawa has issued a message regarding the strike to all part-time and sessional teachers, counsellors and librarians at Algonquin College. The public letter issued by Local 415 President Doug Brandy, warns that any attempt to do teaching, counselling or library work will be considered strikebreaking.

Read the full letter from Local 415 to part-time workers here.

2006-03-22T07:40:00.000-05:00

Renewed Hope as Talks Enter Day Three

It's a good sign that contract talks are continuing between OPSEU and Ontario community colleges. Since Monday morning, the two sides have been meeting under a mediator imposed blackout, to try and resolve their long-running dispute and end the 2006 faculty strike, now into it's 15th day.

"I'm not in a position to give you any information whatsoever," OPSEU negotiator Ted Montgomery told reporters Wednesday morning.

9,100 teachers, counsellors and librarians have been off the job since March 7th. That has meant the suspension of classes for more than 150,000 college students, who are growing increasingly worried about how the strike may affect their graduation plans, apartment leases and summer employment opportunities.

The teachers insist they're fighting for the future of community college education. Their union is demanding smaller class sizes and reduced faculty workload. The employer, the 24 community colleges in the province represented by the College Compensation Council predicts it would cost more than $200 million dollars to implement faculty demands. That's money the colleges say they simply don't have, even with a renewed commitment on post-secondary education from the province.

In the last offer made just before the strike began, the colleges offered faculty a 12.6 per cent wage increase over 4 years, and no increases over the current workload averaging approximately 14 hours a week in the classroom.

See the full Toronto Star article on contract negotiations here.

CTV News quoted a source close to the talks who said Tuesday would be a "make or break" day in negotiations, and that it would take real momevent on one or both sides to keep the talks going.

Read the latest CTV News story on the strike here.

2006-03-21T15:01:00.000-05:00

No News is Good News?!

They're still talking. For the second straight day, negotiators for OPSEU and Ontario Colleges are meeting in Toronto to try and hammer out a new deal.

"The fact they talked for 12 hours Monday is really good news, "Rod Majury, president of the Students' Administrative Council at Cambrian College told Sudbury's Northern Life newspaper. "The fact neither side walked out and left the table is very encouraging."

Marjury said it's important for students to be prepared for a lot of work when the strike ends. "The good news is the heavy workload would only be for a very brief period of time," he added.

More than 9,100 community college teachers, counsellors and librarians have been on strike since March 7th, forcing the suspension of the semester for approximately 150,000 students at 24 colleges.

Read the full Northern Life story here.

Union Plans 'Show of Strength'

OPSEU will hold solidarity rallies at each Ontario community college later this week. The union is inviting educators, labour leaders and all union members in each community to participate.

"Faculty members are fighting for what every Ontario education worker wants: the ability to deliver quality education to the students in our system, said OPSEU president Leah Casselman in a letter sent to education unions this week. "We need your help to send a message to the government and the administration of the 24 colleges."

Most of the rallies will take place beginning at 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, in most instances at an entrance to the main college campus.

To see the full OPSEU news bulletin here.

Find times and locations for individual rallies here.

The issue of replacement workers has once again been raised, this time in Sault Ste. Marie. The OPSEU local at Sault College says it will also use Thursday's solidarity rally to fight for against the use of part-time instructors or others, to do the work of striking faculty members.

"Teachers, education workers, and members from labour organizations from Sault Ste. Marie will join striking college faculty Thursday to rally for education quality and to protest the hiring of "replacement workers" in the colleges," the statement read.

Read the full story at SooNews.ca here.

Police to Decide on Charges

In Toronto, police officers are expected to decide today on whether to lay charges in connection with a picket line incident at Centennial College. 63-year old accounting instructor John Stammers suffered head injuries on Monday, after making contact with a car driven across the picket line. Stammers remains in critical condition at Sunnybrook Hospital.

In the meantime, police are going over campus surveillance tapes to determine whether there's enough evidence to warrant charges. "The video they have is excellent and very compelling," said Sgt. Brian Bowman, Toronto Police traffic services, in an interview with CBC Online News. "They tell me the decision they make will be substantiated by that video."

See the full CBC News Online story here.

2006-03-21T08:15:00.000-05:00

"Make or Break" Talks Enter Day Two

Under a strict media blackout negotiatiors for 24 Ontario community colleges and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union are meeting for a second straight day to try and end the 15-day old faculty strike.

Bargaining teams for both sides hunkered down yesterday for the first time since 9,100 teachers, counsellors and librarians walked off the job, March 7th. Neither side is saying whether there was any firm progress on Monday, but this morning, some union officials were quoted as saying this is a "make it or break it" day in negotiations.

At stake is the 2006 graduation of more than 150,000 community college students, who have had access to college buildings but no teachers since the long-running labour dispute escalated into a strike earlier this month.

See the AM 640 News article here.

Picketer Remains in Critical Condition

A 63 year old community college professor remains in critical but stable condition at Sunnybrook Hospital, a day after he was hit by a car on a faculty picket line in Scarborough.

Police say John Stammers made "contact with the right side and hood of the car," before striking his head on the pavement. Witnesses say it happened just after Stammers and the driver got into a verbal altercation.

"The guy just jumped out of his car and started swearing up a storm in John's face," picketer Geoff Dewar told reporters.

Another witness, part-time instructor Jiantee Jagessar added; "The next thing we knew, John was up on the hood of the car and the guy was accelerating."

Read the full Globe & Mail article here.

London Unions Join Striking Faculty

In a a show of support for striking faculty members at Fanshawe College in London, area labour leaders joined the picket line for part of the day, Monday.

Union members from the educational, postal and auto sectors, along with executive from the London and District Labour Council came together in what they described as a show of solidarity for striking college employees.

"We support these teachers," said Labour Council President Joe Wilson.

The strike affects approximately 550 staff at Fanshawe and thousands of students. "It's really frustrating," Jessica Chambers, a food and beverage management student told the London Free Press. "At least they're talking now, but we still don't know what's going to happen to our year," she added.

Find the full London Free Press article here.

2006-03-20T21:42:00.000-05:00

Montgomery Calls For Union Resolve

OPSEU is telling striking faculty at Ontario community colleges to "keep up the pressure", as negotiations with college management continue under a media blackout.

A bulletin released late Tuesday, quotes a weekend memo to OPSEU local presidents, from Ted Montgomery, the chair of the union bargaining team.

"The return to the table is a direct consequence of the success and strength of the 5000-strong faculty rally and all our efforts so far at the colleges," writes Montgomery. "Key to achieving a settlement will be to continue the pressures that have brought management back to the table, unequivocal demonstrations of faculty's resolve to have the quality issues addressed."

See the full news bulletin from OPSEU here.

Ottawa Rally

Today, as week three of the strike began, faculty from four colleges in eastern Ontario converged on the Ottawa constituency office of Premier Dalton McGuinty. The rally prompted a 30 minute meeting between union local leaders and McGuinty's executive assistant, John Fraser.

"We talked to him specifically about workloads, class sizes, and staffing," Divisional Executive member Mary Ann White said afterwards. "We pointed out to him that his government's message, and all this money that is coming into the system, is exactly in line with what we are saying, and is exactly in line with what Bob Rae has said in the past."

Rumours about Replacement Workers

The union bulletin issued late Tuesday hinted that some colleges may be considering the use of replacement workers as part of a so-called "Semester Replacement Strategy." The bulletin said OPSEU would not tolerate the use of part-time instructors as 'strikebreakers.'

"The whole idea is outrageous, the bulletin quotes Paddy Musson, OPSEU's provincial strike committee co-ordinator. "Part-timers who are the most exploited faculty of all, are to be used as cannon fodder in a management battle against full-timers."

Tough talk by union leaders as contract talks continue at Toronto's Royal York Hotel.

2006-03-20T14:58:00.000-05:00

Talks Still Progressing!

The waiting continues for more than 150,000 Ontario community college students. This morning, a provincial mediator brought negotiating teams from OPSEU and college administration together for the first round of face-to-face talks in more than two weeks.

By mid-afternoon, it was clear the two sides were at least prepared to spend the day talking. An air of secrecy has decended over the negotiations, and reporters aren't even being told where inside Toronto's Fairmont Royal York Hotel the two sides are meeting.

"There are hints it could be a marathon session," said one reporter who is covering the talks.

Earlier, Ted Montgomery, the chief negotiator for the union made it clear OPSEU will be looking for some movement from management.

"I'd say we're hopeful management will come back with something that finally addresses our concerns," Montgomery told reporters.

See the full Canadian Press article here.

Picketer in Critical Condition

In other developments today, a striking faculty member at Centennial College in Toronto is in critical condition in hospital, after he was struck by a car on the picket line. It happened this morning near Centennial's Progress Campus. Police are now reviewing security videotapes to determine what happened.

It's unclear whether Stammers was hit when a car attempted to force its way across the line, or if he was injured after jumping on to the hood of a moving vehicle, as the driver maintains.

"Either way, he suffered serious head injuries and was taken away by ambulance, Toronto Police Sgt. Brian Bowman (Traffic Division) told CBC Online News. "The investigation is ongoing," said Bowman. "We are looking at whether the victim jumped on the car."

See the full CBC Online News article here.

Casselman Joins Picketers

Ontario Public Service Employees Union President Leah Casselman announced plans to spend time on the picket lines this week in support of striking faculty.

Casselman was at Humber College in Toronto this afternoon. She'll visit Seneca and Centennial campuses on Tuesday, then make a stop at Sheridan College in Oakville on Wednesday.

The news release with Casselman's full schedule can be seen here.

2006-03-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

Strikewatch 2006: Who's Saying What

It's finger-crossing time for 150,000 community college students in Ontario, as negotiators for OPSEU and the colleges hold their first face-to-face talks since March 7th, the day the faculty strike began.

For some, the resumption of talks brings a sense of cautious optimism. "There's a really wonderful feeling that things are going to move forward," OPSEU Local 35 President Gaeme Aubert told the Brockville Recorder & Times.

On the management side, Pennie Carr-Harris, the executive director of human resources at St. Lawrence College said "This is a big move." "We're very optimistic," she added.

Read the full Recorder and Times artice here.

"It's about time," reads an editorial in the Ottawa Sun. "Teachers and colleges should have come to their senses a couple of weeks earlier to head off a destructive walkout that has punished students."

The editorial goes on to say the strike is hurting students ability to to get a summer job so that they're able to afford a college education.

See the full editorial in the Ottawa Sun here.

In a letter to the editor of the Toronto Star, Brian Price describes what he calls the 'dirty little secret' at college campuses in Ontario. Price says the majority of faculty are contract workers, many of whom work the same hours and teach the same courses, but for a fraction of the pay and benefits of their full-time colleagues.

Price blames a 20 year old system that enables semester by semester hiring, even though most courses are continuous year after year. He says the benefit to colleges is access toa far cheaper pool of workers.

See the full letter to the editor in the Toronto Star here.

The Toronto Sun today features an editorial that is sharply critical of the delays in getting a settlement.

"Why did it take so long?," the editorial asks, pointing out that Universities and Colleges Minister Chris Bentley intervened much more quickly last year to keep the peace at Ontario's elementary and secondary schools, where unions signed fresh four year deals without striking.

The editorial says Bentley and Premier Dalton McGuinty had better keep the two sides in the college dispute on a short leish and get them to arrive at a settlement that is fiscally responsible to taxpayers.

Read the full editorial in the Toronto Sun here.

2006-03-18T18:44:00.000-05:00

A Time for Reflection

It was interesting to read Ontario's Postsecondary Review, otherwise known as the "Rae Report," from the perspective of the current labour dispute at Ontario Community Colleges.

It made me think that, in some ways the two sides are really fighting for the same thing - more resources to deliver a better product. That aside, I discovered that Bob Rae had quite a bit to say about the challenges ahead for post secondary institutions, in his February 2005 report to the premier and the minister of colleges and universities.

Here's what Rae wrote about funding challenges:

Colleges have also been distracted from fulfilling their
potential by chronic financial concerns. They grew
precisely at a time when there was no funding to sustain
that growth. Between 1992-93 and 2002-03, full-time
college enrolment grew by 31%, while the value of
operating grants in constant 2003-04 dollars decreased
by $211 million.

As a result, colleges have been Ontario's "poster child" for
public efficiency gains during the past decade. Per-unit-costs
of delivering services have been dramatically reduced. The
reward for this achievement is a diminished ability to deliver
the educational services Ontario and Ontarians badly need.

Here's what Rae wrote about faculty:

The hiring of additional faculty will be one of the
measurable quality improvements sought as additional
revenues are provided to institutions beginning in 2005-06.

Additional resources will allow a focus on learning and the
hiring of faculty and the development of teaching excellence
in Ontario's institutions of higher education.
The supply of "teaching resources" - a combination of full
and part-time faculty, librarians, teaching assistants and
technologists, and other staff who dedicate time to teaching
functions - is an important foundation on which to build
teaching excellence. Ontario institutions point out that on
some measures - such as the overall student-faculty ratio -
Ontario does not compare favourably to other jurisdictions
or to the province's own past.

Looking ahead, a record need for new hires is looming as
the baby boom generation of faculty reaches retirement age.
Additional resources are needed to improve the delivery of
education. Additional faculty are required to improve students'
educational experience and academic challenge through
improved student-faculty contact, more opportunity for active
learning, interaction and feedback to students, and enhanced
accommodation of diverse ways of learning.

Here's what Rae wrote about the role of government:

Government can play a strong supporting role by sponsoring
the sharing of best practices, promoting appropriate approaches
to the measurement of student engagement and success, and
providing funding that is targeted for hiring faculty and developing
their skills. An additional investment of $700 million by 2007-08 is
recommended in this area.

2006-03-17T19:53:00.000-05:00

A glimmer of hope!

This will be a weekend of preparation and quiet reflection for the two sides in the labour dispute at Ontario community colleges. For the first time in two weeks, there were hopeful signs that a negotiated settlement could be found. After separate meetings with Universities and Colleges Minister Chris Bentley, each negotiating team signalled its willingness to give it another go, this time with the guidance of a provincial mediator.

There were hints of optimism and strong words of caution. Two sides that were simply out of answers for each other, would face off again and try to find common ground and maybe even a little compromise. And for a moment, it even seemed that everyone was up for the challenge.

"We still have a $200 million dollar gap between our two positions, so that will require significant conversation and movement by both parties," Joy Warkentin, the chair of the college's bargaining committee is quoted to have said by the Toronto Star.

"$85 million would certainly suffice to meet all of the positions the union has on the table," said Ted Montgomery, chief negotiator for OPSEU. "But we’re prepared to negotiate, of course, and we don’t expect to get everything that’s there in the same form that it’s there now," he added.

So once again it's wait and see - and hope for students, parents, faculty and college administrators, all with the realization that a meeting doesn't necessarily mean a deal. But it's a first step.

See the latest Canadian Press article here.

2006-03-17T12:37:00.000-05:00

Breaking news.

It's back to the bargaining table for OPSEU and negotiators for 24 community colleges in Ontario. After separate meeting with Universities and Colleges Minister Chris Bentley, both sides have agreed to sit down with a provincial mediator on Monday.

After meeting with Bentley today, Joy Warkentin, the chair of the council's bargaining committee said the colleges are eager to work with a mediator and OPSEU to find a resolution to the strike. Union leaders have confirmed their willingness to participate in the talks, which begin at 9:30 a.m., on Monday.

"We hope that management got the message from...both our rally and the students’ rally,” said OPSEU bargaining team chair Ted Montgomery in a news bulletin posted on the OPSEU website, Friday afternoon. “We hope that they got the message from the minister, and we remain optimistic that they’ll put a serious and reasonable offer on the table.”

Montgomery says he's hopeful college management will come to the table with an offer addressing the issues of class sizes and faculty increases. “If there’s no new offer, then obviously they haven’t got the message yet, and even greater government involvement will have to be brought to bear,” said Montgomery.

Read the full news bulletin from OPSEU here.

About Today's Meetings:

OPSEU isn't releasing details of its discussions with Bentley today, other than to say the meeting was cordial, and positive.

"The minister did not threaten us in any way," CTV News quotes Ted Montgomery as saying. "He didn't read us the riot act or make any similar kinds of comments of any threatening nature whatsoever."

"We had our bags packed and were ready to meet today, OPSEU representative Lester Yearwood added.

See the full CTV article here.

See the CBC News article here.

View the latest Canadian Press article on the strike here.

Here's the news release from the College Compensation and Appointments Council

2006-03-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

Here's a first.

An OPSEU local at Loyalist College in Belleville is calling on the province to step in and arbitrate a new collective agreement for college teachers.

"We'll go to arbitration. We have our argument down pat. We think we'll win at arbitration," said OPSEU local 420 President Bernard Belanger, in an interview published on a community news website. "Let's go. Let's do it," he added.

See the full article in Community Press Online here.

You may recall that in 1989, the province drafted legislation to order striking college faculty back to work after 3 and a half weeks, but just before it was implemented, both sides agreed to binding arbitration. We'll have to wait and see if there are more calls for arbitration before this strike is over.

2006-03-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

A journalism professor at Sheridan College suggests Ontarians don't really know or care that much about what goes on at our community colleges. Leslie Butler says that apathy is precisely why we've seen an erosion of the college system in this province. She describes the back and forth as a 'miserable tearing out of entrails between teachers and college administrators,' and suggests it's happening while the real culprit, the provincial government, remains 'hidden behind the scenes.'

See the full editorial in the Toronto Star here.

In Hamilton today, a Mohawk College student offered his own recommendations on improving the community college system. In an editorial in the Hamilton Spectator, Eric Kerrigan described how the strike is disrupting the lives of students, and threatening their futures. Kerrigan says both sides are to blame for the current situation, and he wonders why the strike had to take place at such a critical time of year.

Kerrigan suggests that if the workload is too heavy, then college faculty should move to a university-style system with teaching assistants, as a way to free up college teachers so that they have more time to prepare lessons and lab exercises.

See the full editorial here at the Hamilton Spectator here.

Another Mohawk student writes in an editorial to the Hamilton Mountain News that OPSEU, the college administrators and the McGuinty government are to blame for the impasse. Jonathan Boutin also takes aim at the media for not making the story about a strike that is affecting tens of thousands of students in Ontario, a higher priority.

"To the media, where is the coverage of this strike?," Boutin writes. "Why do I only know what the college and OPSEU post on their respective websites? You are supposed to shine a light on these sort of stories and get the facts out to the people."

The full editorial by Jonathan Boutin can be seen here.

2006-03-17T10:36:00.000-05:00

If you haven't had a chance to see some of the strike bulletins issued by a small number of the OPSEU locals involved in the strike, you might find it an interesting diversion.

My favourite to date is a tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek article on grading, published by local 560 at Seneca College in Toronto. I get the sense that 'Plan B' for marking pokes a little fun at the prospect of manager handing out marks.

For Computer Studies it recommends using a random number generator to determine grades. For English, it suggests totalling the number of A's, B's and C's in each essay, and assigning a grade based on which one appears the most! In Fashion Design it's worth noting that 'B' is hot this year.

See the full bulletin here.

On a less humorous note, the 7th bulletin from Local 655 at Cambrian College in Sudbury offers an interesting article on the 'Quality of Education,' and what it means to a cross section of college professors.

See the bulletin here in PDF format here.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the 'Strike Facts' that Local 558 at Centennial College is posting in its bulletins. For instance, did you know that between 1989 and 2004, the number of college students in Ontario increased by 52 per cent, while the number of full-time faculty declined by nearly 22 per cent?

Read the full bulletin text in PDF format here.

2006-03-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

Management at Ontario's 24 community colleges appear to be just as eager as the union to get the bargaining process moving again. That's apparent from a news release issued today by the Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario.

"Our students must be the first priority," said Dr. Rick Miner, chair of the colleges' committee of presidents. "We believe all parties must share a commitment to resolving the issues and ending the strike," he added.

See the full news release here.

During the college faculty rally in Toronto yesterday, Ted Montgomery, the chair of the OPSEU college faculty bargaining team, delivered a lengthy, but pointed speech about union priorities at the bargaining table. He described the colleges "Semester Completion Strategies," as astoundingly nebulous and decidedly nefarious, and pledged to fight on for quality education.

Read Montgomery's full speech here.

2006-03-17T09:40:00.000-05:00

Well, this is Chris Bentley's time to shine.

Today, Ontario's Universities and Colleges minister will step into the fray over the long-running contract dispute between faculty and management at 24 community colleges. Bentley says he's there to hear the 'candid viewpoints' from each side.

"The best resolution is for students to back in the classroom...and finishing up their school year...as quickly as possible," Bentley said in an interview yesterday. He declined to say whether he'd order back-to-work legislation if new talks failed to materialize.

Read more on Bentley's comments in this Globe and Mail article.

Union negotiator Ted Montgomery says there's a quick way to get a settlement. He told reporters that management simply needs to table an offer that addresses the issue of quality education.

In an article today, the Toronto Star suggested back-to-work legislation is still no imminent.

Read the Star article here.

There's still no information about where and when Bentley will be meeting separately with OPSEU and the college management negotiating team.

We'll be watching for word!

2006-03-16T16:05:00.000-05:00

Community college education took centre stage at a pair of protests in Toronto today. In one part of the downtown, hundreds of striking teachers gathered, waving placards and yelling 'shame' on the McGuinty government for allowing the strike to continue for nine days.

A few blocks away, students set up a giant chess board to show their anger over feeling like pawns in the dispute between faculty and Ontario Colleges.

Here's the Toronto Sun report on the rally.
Here's the Toronto Star report on the rally.

Another protest on Parliament Hill in Ottawa fizzled, when only 18 students turned out.

Read the CBC Ottawa article here.

A few more details have emerged about the approach Ontario's Colleges and Universities minister Chris Bentley will take, when he meets with management and OPSEU on Friday. Bentley says he'll sit down with both sides separately to get a 'candid' view on what they want.

"We've been working very hard to find ways to bring the parties to come together," Bentley told the Globe and Mail. "But you have to have the right conditions," he adds. "I'm hoping that tomorrow we'll be able to take an assessment of the conditions and help them find ways to bargain a resolution."

See the complete Globe & Mail article here.

Late today, Union leader Ted Montgomery said he's encouraged that Bentley wants to meet, but he says he'll be interested in seeing what the minister has to say.

Read the full text here.

2006-03-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

Breaking News!

This morning, Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Chris Bentley issued a statement saying he would meet on Friday with representatives on both sides of the dispute. "Our government's main concern continues to be the impact the strike is having on college students," Bentley said in a news release. "We're committed to ensuring that Ontario students are receiving the highest possible quality of education."

See the full news release here.

There's no mention of legislating faculty back to work, but it just might be a sign the McGuinty government isn't willing to wait out a long-running strike.

It didn't take long for the colleges to respond. The Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario issued a release today, welcoming the government's decision to bring both sides back to the table.

Read what the college response was here.

An interesting spin on today's announcement. CTV suggests a 'solution' may be in the works to end the strike. But the story has nothing to add in terms of what that solution could be.

Here's the full CTV story.

College students have issued another news release, this one relating to the protest at Queen's Park. The College Student Alliance says the strike has already gone on too long, and it's making 11 recommendations to the McGuinty government.

See the full news release text here..

2006-03-16T08:56:00.000-05:00

As the strike continues, I know we'll be hearing more and more about the plight of the students who are, for the most part probably growing a little weary of self-educating themselves. Today the Toronto Star published articles on three students, each with a different story to tell about the impact of this situation.

Link to the Toronto Star articles here.

Can you feel the Buzz? Today, CAW President Buzz Hargrove weighed in on the college faculty strike, urging Premier Dalton McGuinty to bring both sides back to bargaining table.

In a news release issued this morning, Hargrove said "Too many young students' lives are being seriously disrupted for the parties to this dispute to remain disengaged." He adds "Our students deserve to know that despite the challenges, both sides and their government are doing everything in their power to reach a settlement, while respecting the collective bargaining process."

To see the full Canada News Wire text, click here.

On a side note, high praise for the student journalists at York University. In an article published in the student newspaper Excalibur Online, the reporter points out that the tuition increases announced last week will vary between programs, with some students facing an 8 per cent hike this fall. According to EO, the average student debt load will reach $22,700.

Read the full article here.

2006-03-16T07:25:00.000-05:00

An interesting situation at Algonquin College in Ottawa yesterday, where one group of student joined striking faculty on the picket lines, and another group staged a protest inside condemning the strike. Interestingly, one student is quoted as saying she's surprised to hear that teachers care about the class sizes and the quality of education.

Read the Ottawa Citizen story here.

In Toronto this morning, two student unions say they'll set up a giant chess board at Queen's Park to show the government they're not willing to be pawns in the dispute.

See the London Free Press article here.

I'm noticing more and more editorials urging the government to step in do something about the strike. There's little mention of back-to-work legislation at this point, and I think that's because few people think it would be a good idea to send large numbers of angry teachers back into the classroom without some kind of progress on the issues they care about. But editorial writers do seem to favour the idea of having Queen's Park exert some pressure to try and get both sides back at the table.

See some of the op/ed pieces here.
Hamilton Spectator
London Free Press
Toronto Sun

2006-03-15T20:22:00.000-05:00

Okay, let's set the record straight.

I believe OPSEU when it says the strike isn't about money. After all, the two sides are, from what I can tell, in virtual agreement on all of the monetary issues, based on what I read in the union's proposal from December and the latest offer from the management side.

See the union's proposal from Dec. 2005 here

It's just that $94,277 still sounds like a pretty nice salary, and then there's the reaction you get from most people when you use the words 'teacher' and 'money' in the same sentence. What makes me chuckle is that nearly all of the wire stories I read, include this number somewhere in the backgrounder paragraphs relating to the strike. Needless to say I have yet to see a media report mentioning the startlingly unspectacular starting salary of $44,285 for new faculty members. Then again, that just wouldn't be interesting.

2006-03-15T19:00:00.000-05:00

It surprised me to hear that a provincial cabinet minister spent a little time with striking college faculty this week. On Monday, Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci, who also serves as Minister of Northern Development, joined striking OPSEU members briefly during a rally at Market Square in Sudbury. He said he came out to show his support for getting both sides back to the negotiating table, and teachers back in the classroom.

Hours later, a group of 400 OPSEU members and supporters staged a protest in front of Bartolucci's office, in an effort to put pressure on the Liberal government to intervene and force the colleges to meet key union demands. It's worth noting that Bartolucci is a former teacher himself, and at one time the Liberals education critic at Queen's Park.

See the article written for the OPSEU local in Sudbury here.

Have you had a chance to see one of the ads from the Ontario College Presidents? They tried to get their message out the old fashioned way today, with newspaper ads outlining the pledge to ensure there's a "Semester Completion Strategy" in place at each college. In a statement issued today the union fired back suggesting the presidents have no consistent plan, and criticizing the ad itself for failing to provide any meaningful detail.

See the OPSEU release here.

2006-03-15T18:35:00.000-05:00

Now it's going to get interesting. I just noticed that two student unions are organizing their own rally in Toronto tomorrow. It's scheduled for 11 a.m. at Queen's Park.

See the news release here.

The teachers will be gathering at the same time, but in a different location. (Yonge-Dundas Square) It always suprises me when organizations choose to do this. Do these students realize that faced with a choice, the media will always gravitate towards the bigger event? Good luck getting any coverage. But I digress.

Kudos to the London Free Press for landing a brief, but valuable one-on-one interview with Colleges and Universities Minister Chris Bentley. It's the first confirmation that anything is going on behind the scenes. Bentley says Labour Ministry mediators are talking to both sides in the dispute. He also suggests his ministry is urging a resumption to negotiations.

(See the London Free Press article here.

Apparently Sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough will unveil more information on its Semester Completion Strategy" on Monday. The college president, Tony Tilly says the goal is to find a way to let students complete their semester in the spring.

See the article from MyKawartha.com here.

2006-03-15T17:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's day 8 of the strike. Lots of catching up to do!

Tomorrow is the big union rally in Toronto. From what I can tell, the turnout is going to be high with a large contingent from Toronto-area colleges, and more than 1,000 strikers arriving by bus. There's a lot of anger right now, over management's so called "Semester Completion Strategy."

See the news release here.

Robert Gillett, the president of Algonquin College in Ottawa reportedly said that with or without faculty, students will be able to continue with the curriculum, even if management has to mark assignments and exams.

The idea that college adminstrators would even contemplate such a plan, landed like a sucker punch for striking teachers. and prompted an angry union response.

See the union response here.

Today, other college leaders were quick to reject any notion that their "Semester Completion Strategy" would involve management in the classroom.

See the Hamilton Spectator article here.

Late today, news began to trickle out about a more 'reasoned' approach to semester completion. In Brampton, Sheridan College president Robert Turner hinted at the possibility of evening and weekend classes. But he admits it all depends on the outcome of the strike.

See the Brampton Guardian article here.

Still nothing new to report on the union's threat to lay charges unde the Collective Bargaining Act over allegations that management was bargaining in bad faith. You may recall that OPSEU was positively furious when college management tabled what was described as a 'provocative offer' just before the strike deadline.

See the CBC News Ottawa article here.

Eight days in, and we're already seeing some mudslinging on both sides. But still no hint that the McGuinty government will step in with 'back to work' legislation. We'll keep watching!

2006-03-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog.

It came to life today the way so many blogs do - out of sheer frustration at the lack of useful information on a specific topic, issue or event. I highlight the word useful because at this point, there's certainly a vast pile of media stories relating to the strike, already out there floating around the Internet. And there's plenty of propaganda too, from both sides in the dispute, student associations and politicians of every stripe.

But little of it is timely, useful information. That's why I'm here.

Beginning today, I'll be adding updates to this blog with worthwhile tidbits that I can gather on the strike, along with useful links and perhaps even a little lively commentary to stir things up.

Why do I care?

To start, I'm not one of the 150,000 students or 9,100 full-time teachers, counsellors and librarians who are directly affected by the strike. I'm not a politician or a lobbyist, and thankfully I will in no way benefit directly or indirectly from the outcome of this labour dispute.

I'm a journalist. I'm also someone who knows first-hand the value of a college education, and I'm a person who cares about the impact of this strike on our communities.

So let's begin!