What students need to know about the Ontario college strike

Faculty and staff at 24 Ontario colleges have gone on strike, cancelling classes for more than 500,000 students.

As an Ontario college student, here are five things you need to know.

• Ontario college students demand tuition refund should strike occur
• No classes at most GTA colleges as over 12,000 faculty walk off the job

Who's on strike?

• More than 12,000 faculty members across Ontario's 24 public colleges are on strike. That includes professors, counsellors and librarians.

What about classes?

• George Brown College:full-time classes suspended butContinuing Education classes continue
• Humber and University of Guelph-Humber:full-time, continuing education, online and corporate training classessuspended
• Centennial College:cancelledfull-time courses but the strike will not affect co-op placements
• Seneca College:full-time classes cancelled(attemptbeing made to keep part-time studies evening and weekends running)
• Sheridan College: all full and part-time classes cancelled
• Mohawk College:full-time programs and all apprenticeshipson hold

Can you go to campus?

• All of the campuses on the list above are open and some services are available. Further details are available on the college websites.

What about tuition?

• Online petition #wepaytolearn is calling for daily reimbursement of tuition. The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development would have to make that decision.

Union vs. Colleges

TheOntario Public ServiceEmployees Union demands:

• More full-time positions (50/50 ratio of full-time to non-full-time staff)
• Increased role of faculty in academic decision-making

What the College Employer Council council has offered:

• 7.75 per cent salary increase over fouryears
• Improved conversion of contract faculty to full-time positions