Talks resume between striking Ontario faculty and colleges

Striking faculty and the council representing Ontario's 24 colleges resume bargaining today in a bid to end a labour disruption that has left 500,000 students out of class for more than two weeks.

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Advanced Education Minister Deb Matthews said yesterday that both sides will return to the bargaining table at the request of a mediator to re-start talks for the first time since the strike began on Oct. 15.

Matthews has resisted calls for provincial intervention in the strike, insisting a resolution must be found at the bargaining table.

The Ontario Public Sector Employees Union has called for the number of full-time faculty to match the number of faculty members on contract, but the colleges have said that would add more than $250 million in costs each year.

The colleges had put forward a four-year-agreement that offers a 7.75 per cent pay increase.

The strikes involves more than 12,000 Ontario college professors, instructors, counsellors, and librarians.