No new talks are scheduled as the strike by faculty at Ontario’s 24 colleges enters its third week.
Monday marks day 15 of the strike by more than 12,000 faculty and staff members across the province, including about 800 at Fanshawe College in London.
Over 500,000 students have been impacted by the labour action.
OPSEU has said it’s ready to resume talks, but the College Employer Council hasn’t reached out to arrange sessions.
At a rally last Thursday, OPSEU Local 110 marched from Victoria Park to London North Centre MPP Deb Matthews‘ office. The union has called on the province to force the college employer back to the table.
“May we remind you that you are the minister responsible for colleges,” said Darryl Bedford, the president of OPSEU local 110, as he read a letter addressed to Matthews out loud to protesters. “You’re not an innocent leader here. We need leadership. You can, and you must, do something while there is still time. Sincerely, Darryl.”
A number of protests were held across the province last week.
OPSEU Local 110 held a different rally last Tuesday in downtown London while a different rally was held last Wednesday outside Queen’s Park in Toronto.
Matthews, who is also the minister for advanced education, hasn’t commented on possible intervention to resolve the strike, but has said earlier that the province needs to let the collective bargaining process work.
There have been no talks between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and the College Employer Council since Oct. 15 when the college instructors, counsellors and librarians walked off the job.
Classes have been cancelled at some of the province’s 24 colleges, including Fanshawe.
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