As the Ontario College strike nears four full weeks, two St. Lawrence College students in Kingston are hoping for a quick resolution.
“We have wasted so much time and so much money sitting here when we could have been working back home,” Behavioural Psychology student, Maeve Dempsey said.
Dempsey and her boyfriend, Kevin Anaviluk, moved to Kingston from the Northwest Territories in order to pursue their studies at St. Lawrence College.
The pair decided against going back home in hopes of a short strike, but also because they say a return trip would cost them each $3,000.
They had planned to go home during next month’s holiday break, but if a resolution to the labour strife is soon, it’s expected the break will be shortened to one week in order to salvage the semester.
“As much as I love my family, it would be ridiculous for them to spend that amount of money just for a few days,” Dempsey said.
OPSEU, the union representing striking employees, says it was under the impression a bargained deal was on the table Monday morning. However, the colleges instead presented a forced offer which if approved would take five to 10 days just to vote on whereas the bargained deal could have been approved within one day.
“It’s in the hands of the ministry of labour now,” OSPEU Local 417 President Grant Currie said. “I can tell you that our bargaining team is still at the table hoping to get a deal done. A week to ten days, that’s too long for the students.”
Colleges have requested that the union suspend the strike and allow faculty to go back to class while the vote is carried out.
“We need the 500,000 students in this province back in the class and our faculty back in the class,” St. Lawrence College President Glenn Vollebregt said.
OPSEU is urging its members to vote down the deal.
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