Staff
With a negotiation deadline looming, Confederation College is preparing should its support staff go on strike as early as tomorrow.
“I’m really quite hopeful that the negotiated settlement will occur,” stated Jim Madder, Confederation College’s president, about the ongoing negotiations between college support staff—represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union—and the province’s colleges.
Three days of negotiation began between the union and colleges this Monday, with OPSEU filing notice that would leave them in a position to legally strike as early as midnight September 1.
While he has been out of the province for the last five years, Madder stated his understanding that often these settlements occur virtually at the last minute.
“So it could be just before midnight on Wednesday.”
But if a strike occurs, the college does have a plan, he said.
“Our classes will be delivered,” Madder stressed, noting that all online programming which is a “great deal” of what is offered through the smaller campuses will still be running.
Altogether, there are 240 support staff, he noted and “we will miss every single one of them if they’re on strike.”
Three of these staff members are at the local campus.
“It certainly will be difficult to operate without them, but our classes will go ahead,” he added, noting that they are moving some administrative staff into roles where they can answer any questions that students have and move ahead with programming.
With approximately 100 full-time students at the Rainy River District campus, programs and courses will continue to run as regularly scheduled, with staff doing their best to maintain business continuity with minimal disruptions.
Meanwhile at the Thunder Bay Campus, a strike would mean that recreation activities will be a no-go, and as well the library will be open for access—but won’t be able to provide all library services.
“I really hope there is a negotiated settlement, we’re here for our students and we’ll miss our support staff if they are on strike,” he stressed.