March 24, 2006 11:10
am
Upbeat mood as talks continue
Talks continue between college management and OPSEU in an effort to
end the college faculty strike, now in its 18th day.
Negotiations are taking place
under a news blackout since the two sides met yesterday with Kevin
Whitaker, chair of the College Relations Commission.
Meanwhile, picket lines are
holding strong at every Ontario college. That’s the only conclusion to
be drawn from picket-line rallies in 25 cities yesterday.
“We are fighting for what we
believe in,” Local 354 president Debbie Rautins told about 100
strikers and supporters in Oshawa. “Quality education is and always
was what the strike is about,” Rautins said from atop a picnic table,
megaphone in hand.
Every college local rejected a
call yesterday from colleges minister Chris Bentley to stop picketing
even though the parties had not yet agreed on a way to resolve
outstanding issues.
Backed by the flags of elementary and secondary teachers’ unions,
OPSEU Local 350 president David Duncan addressed a feisty rally at
Georgian College in Barrie.
“The minister said today that we should shut down our picket lines
and wait for a settlement,” Duncan told the assembled faculty. “Are we
going to shut our lines down?” Duncan shouted.
“No!” the crowd roared.
Across the province, the OPSEU rallies had strong turnouts and support
from students, college support staff and other non-striking OPSEU
members, l'Association des enseignantes et enseignants
franco-Ontariens, the Canadian Association of University Teachers, the
Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, the Ontario English
Catholic Teachers Association, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers
Federation, the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union, the
National Union of Public and General Employees, the United
Steelworkers, local labour councils, the Canadian Labour Congress, and
others.
“The
line had a festive air with the music pouring out of the speakers,”
said Jack Wilson of Local 415 at Algonquin College in Ottawa, where
CLC president Ken Georgetti spoke. “People were really in the mood to
picket. The weather co-operated, too.”
At Humber
College, hip-hop artist Liam Barrington-Bush ("The Red Menace"), who
currently works with "Schools without Borders" and with inner city
youth in Toronto, performed two politically-charged pieces, Local 562
president Maureen Wall reported. The program was closed by a dozen
Humber theatre students who crowded onto the back of a pickup truck to
perform a medley of rousing support songs.
"It’s amazing
what you can do in just 48 hours when you’re surrounded by talented
people," said Wall.
