FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 12, 2005
Colleges misleading
students regarding impact of support staff strike
Unionized college support
staff say Ontario’s colleges are misleading students when
they say it will be “business as usual” in the fall.
More than 6,000 Ontario Public
Service Employees Union (OPSEU) members will set up picket
lines at 24 Ontario community colleges if they do not receive
an acceptable compensation package from the employer by Sept
7.
“One of the biggest differences
between 1979 -- when support staff last went out on strike --
and today, is the level of technology in the colleges,” says
Rod Bemister, chair of the union bargaining team. “If the
systems go down, it will be hard for the colleges to function.
Similarly, the staff who maintain in-class equipment will also
be absent.”
A few of the other anticipated
difficulties for students could include:
- If students succeed in
completing their registration, which may be in doubt, they
can anticipate difficulties in getting courses changed, or
getting student advisement, with registration officers,
administrative staff and student advisors off the job.
- Students can forget about
getting experience in the labs – lab technicians, lab
technologists, and lab supervisors will all be off the job.
- Some colleges will have to
lock up their facilities tight in the absence of security
officers.
- Health and safety may be of
concern to certain colleges without caretakers, maintenance,
heating and ventilation staff, or health and safety
technologists.
- While bookstores may be
open, students can look forward to longer lines and likely
limited hours in the absence of bookstore clerks.
“There are hundreds of job
functions done by support staff in the colleges,” says
Bemister. “With our members off the job, it is unlikely the
colleges will be able to function more than a few days, and
even then, in a very limited capacity.”
The union is urging the
colleges to return to the bargaining table Aug. 30 with a more
reasonable offer to avoid a strike altogether. “It is not our
plan to disrupt the school year, but to achieve a fair deal
for our members,” says Bemister.
-30-
For more information,
contact:
Rod Bemister, Chair, Colleges
of Applied Arts and Technology, Support Staff Bargaining
Team - (416) 779-0669
David Cox, OPSEU
Communications - (416) 443-8888 x 8314
BACKGROUNDER
Positions effected by a college
support strike include:
Academic logistics officer,
academic services coordinator, academic student advisor,
academic support officer, accounts payable clerk, accounts
receivable clerk, administrative assistant, administrative
coordinator, admissions officer, aircraft maintenance
engineer, alumni office coordinator, apprentice and records
clerk, athletic coordinator, audio visual technician, buyer,
career coordinator, career services assistant, caretaker,
cataloguing technician, continuing education assistant,
continuing education secretary, chef, chemical engineer
technologist, client services representative, clinical support
officer, communications officer, computer operator, computer
programmer analyst, computer services helpdesk technician,
computer technician, computer technologist, continuing
education officer, co-op coordinator, coordinator –
international student centre, customer service and information
assistant, database administrator, Dean’s assistant,
development officer, disability specialist, early childhood
educator, e-learning coordinator, electrician, employment
advisor, employment coach, employment consultant,
facilitator/job coach, room scheduler, financial aid advisor,
financial analyst, food lab tech, health and safety
technologist, heating, ventilation and air conditioning,
intake coordinator, international admissions officer,
international student recruitment representative, key
performance indicator research analyst, lab supervisor, lab
technician, lab technologist, learning strategist, learning
strategist/assistive technologist, learning technologies
specialist, liaison officer, library technician,
mail/reproduction, maintenance, marketing officer, marketing
officer, medical secretary, multimedia information
technologist, network administrator, office coordinator,
on-line learning coordinator, operator, payroll officer,
Peoplesoft user support, photography technician, placement
officer, plumber, program assistant, program coordinator,
public relations officer, receptionist, registration officer,
reproduction equipment operator, research and development
officer, nurse, scheduling coordinator/student advisor,
scheduling officer, secretary, security guard, software
support, sport coordinator, statistics officer, student
advisor, student life advisor, switchboard operator, systems
analyst, technical e-learning specialist, technician,
technologist, test centre coordinator, Unix/Database
administrator, web developer, welcome centre/parking
representative, work study coordinator, bookstore clerk,
buildings and grounds maintenance.
