Ontario colleges, faculty clash ahead of contract vote, strike enters week 5
TORONTO — Ontario’s colleges and the union representing striking faculty members are accusing each other of spreading misinformation ahead of a contract vote in the labour dispute that has left half a million students out of class for a month.
Some 12,000 Ontario college professors, instructors, counsellors, and librarians haven’t been at work since Oct. 15.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents the striking faculty, said the dispute was the longest strike in the colleges’ history.
“It’s the only time in the history of the colleges the semester has been under threat,” Kevin MacKay, a member of the OPSEU faculty bargaining team said Monday. “And I’m telling you, if the strike doesn’t end this week, the semester is under threat — serious threat.”