Arbitrator's award settling issues behind Ontario college strike expected this week

[guest]

An arbitrator is expected to make a decision this week on the issues that prompted a five-week strike by faculty at Ontario colleges this fall.

The province enacted back-to-work legislation to end the strike, the longest in Ontario college history. An arbitrator appointed to help settle the dispute met with both sides and will issue his decision this week, according to both the union and the council representing the province’s 24 colleges.

The decision will form the basis for a new collective agreement.

There were a couple of key issues in the strike by 12,000 full-time faculty, part-time instructors, librarians and counsellors. The union was seeking more job security for contract staff who must reapply for their jobs each semester, and an increase in the number of full-time faculty.

The colleges said they offered some improvements in job security but the union’s demand for a 50-50 ratio between full and part-time faculty was too expensive and inflexible.

Also in dispute was “academic freedom” — how much control faculty should be granted over course design, delivery and evaluation of students.

jmiller@postmedia.com

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