Hundreds of strike workers and their supporters pickets on the outskirts of Mohawk College in Hamilton and other provincial universities on Thursday morning in an effort to press their employers after the conversations collapsed on Monday.
On the Mohawk campus in Fennell Avenue W., workers of the institutions of the southwest of Ontario Niagara College, Sheridan College and Conronstoga College, joined the Public Service Service Employee Union (Opseu) Local 241 in progress and possession of demanding signs of labor security.
“We have a very enthusiastic support here,” said Susan Lau, local president 241, to CBC Hamilton after the demonstration as a driver that passed the picket line touched the horn.
“Morality has been good at stake,” he said, with workers from other unions, public members and university students who come and share breath.
10,000 university workers in the strike on strike
Throughout the province, 10,000 full -time university support employees of the 24 Public Universities of Ontario have strike state since September 11In a contract fight, they say that it is mainly to protect the jobs.
Lau said that the fighting of the union for labor security seems to have resonated with many, who are aware of Important work losses in universities last year. OPSEU says that during the last year in Ontario, universities have fired 10,000 professors and support personnel and have reduced more than 650 programs.
When it is not on strike, Lau works in information technology. Its role includes training other workers and managing support tickets.
OPSEU says that support workers include more than 150 roles, such as recruiters, payroll personnel, laboratory technicians, cooperative coordinators, financial assistance officers and food workers.
Christine Kelsey, the president of the full -time negotiation team, works in Algonquin College as an assistance technologist who works with students with disabilities. She is also the local president of La Unión.
“Anything that is not teaching or managing is our job,” Hamilton told CBC on Thursday. “All the useful life of what is required in universities is done by us.”
However, Kelsey and Lau say that these works are at risk without the contract language protecting them from being hired and prohibiting managers from doing a job of the negotiation unit.
Without these protections, Lau said that Mohawk’s support staff will not recover from winter employment losses, and that there could be more union or part -time jobs at the university.
Full -time jobs for support staff lead to better results for students, he said.
The negotiation agent of the universities says that the union demands that it is not working
After three days of mediation that began on Friday, both Opseu and the University Employers Council (CEC), the negotiation agent that represents universities in the negotiations, issued statements that accuse the other of blocking a path to an agreement.
The CEC says that Opseu already has protections against work hiring work and “goes much further by insisting that universities can never get any service without their permission. It is not possible to operate a university in that way.”
He says that “the separation of the tasks of working groups would mold operations and leave universities without the capacity to respond to the needs of students in real time.”
Kelsey said he rejects the argument of the CEC and believes that “return to the table with us and negotiate a language that will really save jobs.”
On Thursday coordinated on Thursday was part of an effort to press the university presidents to make that, Kelsey said. She spoke with CBC Hamilton by phone from a picket line in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where she was supporting the Sault College Picket line.
On the Mohawk’s Fennell campus, the university told CBC Hamilton that it suspended classes and activities on the “Security interest” campus, on Thursday, moving most of the online classes.
Lau said that means that the action was successful and had an impact.
“We understand that it can be a challenge for students,” he said about the interruptions of the strike, and added that she and her colleagues have spoken with many of them in the picket line.
“It is really wonderful to talk to them … about how important this system is and how important it is for us to ensure that it continues to exist for them,” Lau said. “If we did not have university education, my family would still live in poverty.”
Union ‘fighting to save jobs’
Lau and Kelsey indicate the recently announced closure of GEORGIAN COLLEGE ORILLIA AND MUSKOKA CAMPUS As a poster, universities continue to fight.
“We are struggling to save jobs,” Kelsey said. “We hope that thousands of jobs are contracted if we do not get these protections.”
She said workers are ready to negotiate and expect the public to support them because “universities are important for our communities and support staff is important for universities.”
