We're frustrated too: Conestoga college faculty on strike, week 5

As the province's 12,000 college faculty professors vote on the latest offer from the College Employer Council, two of them want students to know: "We're really frustrated as well."

"This isn't about us not wanting to be in the class, it's about a bigger picture that's unfolding in the province," Justin St-Maurice told The Morning Edition's host Craig Norris on Wednesday.

• Striking Ontario college faculty begin two-day vote on latest contract offer
• College prof union tells members to reject offer: 'You have no choice but to vote no'

St-Maurice, who teaches in the Applied Health Information Science program at Conestoga College, said he's frustrated that he and his colleagues haven't been asked about how they feel about the prolonged strike, which began Oct. 16.

"We've really never had an opportunity to vote on anything up to now, and that's been for me very challenging and very frustrating."

"[The last few weeks have been] lonely, cold, unfulfilled," said St-Maurice's colleague Russell Foubert.

"We've been out on the picket lines, meeting people and sharing our views," said Foubert, who is a professor in the college's Software Engineering Technology faculty.

"And it comes every day with the clear understanding that we're not in the classroom, we're not with our students, we're not helping them progress through the semester."

"There's nothing fun or exciting or sexy about any of this."

'Difficult choice'

Faculty will have until 10 a.m. Thursday to accept or reject the most recent offer from their employer, represented by the College Employer Council.

If it passes,they could be back in class as early as Nov. 21. If not, both sides go back to the bargaining table.

"No matter what happens, it's a difficult choice," adds St-Maurice. "If the vote is 'no,'it's not because we're trying to hurt students, we're not trying to be greedy, we're not trying to make a point at their expense."

"It's not easy for us. And for us to say 'no' and continueon without payfor another undetermined period of time, is not an easy decision."

TheOntario Public Service Employees Union has urged its members to vote "no"on the offer, which it says is the same as the one the colleges tabled on Oct. 10before the strike began.

The two offers are very similar, but there are some differences in the section on staffing and workload. Read the offer being voted onhereand the pre-strike proposalhere.