Conestoga students worry strike could affect studies

Conestogacollege students won'tbe inclass to start the week as 770 faculty at all Conestoga College campuses are on strike.

The college will remain open during the strike.

CBC spoke with some of thestudents who made their way to Conestoga Collegedespite the strike. They said the reason why they came to school wasto work on assignments andstay ahead of their studies.

• A strike by faculty would 'mess up everything,' some students say

"I was trying to catch up onmy assignments," said Francis Yue Du, a second-year public relationsstudent.

"We are still supposed to be working on assignments and projects. However, if the strike is going on for more than two days, then we will probably be given extended deadlines, according to my professors."

Students alsoexpressed concern over how the strike could affecttheir midterms this week.

"There are no teachers here so if Iwanted to ask my professor somethingI wont be able to that. That's holding me back," saidHadeelBahloul, a part-time office administration student.

"I feel it's unfair for the students because this will delay our assignments, our exams and everything. It's going to be a harder time for us to finish our assignments."

Conestoga Students Inc., the student association that represent all Conestoga students, wasin talks with the union and college administration prior to the strike to make sure student services, like the library and recreation complex,remain open for students.

No agreement reached on the weekend

On Saturday, OPSEU, the union representing faculty at Ontario's 24 public colleges, put forward their final proposal to the CollegeEmployment Council (CEC).

• More than 12,000 Ontario college faculty walk off the job
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However, both parties were not able to come to an agreement this past weekend.

Theproposalcalls for the number of full time facultyto match the number of faculty members on contract,improvements in job security and for faculty to have a stronger voice in academic decision making.

"I'm not surprised," Conestoga President, John Tibbits told Craig Norris, host ofThe Morning EditionMonday morning.

"We are very disappointedand upset about this because we think there is an excellent offer on the table and there should be room to come up with an agreement."

Bob Carter, an OPSEU representative, said that the CECdid not welcome the union's final offer.

"Though we made a a final offer of our own which was a drastic move from the original demands that we had, the [CEC]refused to even look at it and did not come back to the table."

Faculty on strike were stopping vehicles at school entrances while handing out information and talking to the drivers.