THUNDER BAY – Confederation College students are expressing frustration with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union strike.
The picket line at each campus entrance is causing traffic to line up along Golf Links Road and William Street, and city transit has moved its bus stops off campus. Inside the college, students find themselves struggling to find support services from staff.
Early childhood education student, Taylor, told Newswatch, “this strike is really taking a toll on all of us. I can see the stress in everyone’s eyes.”
Welding student, Raviraj, told Newswatch that the traffic disruption “makes it difficult” to get to class on time. He now has to wake up a half hour earlier to catch the bus to the campus and walk from the Golf Links entrance to get to class.
An electrical engineering technology student, Alessio, said, “the picket lines are pretty brutal trying to get in the mornings, and when we leave as well. They hold us up for a good amount of time, so it’s not too good.”
Justice, a computer programming student, said that he has almost missed classes and has missed buses because of the strike.
Justin, also a computer programming student, works as a personal support worker at the hospital. He said driving onto campus is not much better.
“Trying to get here, like if I’m running late, like if I have to leave work at 3:20 p.m. and I have class at 3:30 p.m., then I really gotta try to hustle,” he said.
Alessio and several of his classmates mentioned that a teacher needed to use a projector, and there was no IT staff available. The disruption stopped the entire class.
Justin needed to have a question answered by student services, and found no staff available.
Mikaya, a computer programming student, explained that the tutoring services for first-year students have halted.
While some students like Alessio “just want to get this done with and over with,” other students like Tayor feel the strike is important.
“I 100 per cent support the picket line and everything going on because if they don’t get treated properly, how are we going to get treated properly as students. Honestly, this is an amazing place to learn, get a social life and have an education. We need these services. We need mental health. We need student success,” Taylor said.
Justin said that he understands why the support service staff are striking.
“I’ve been working without a union agreement for a couple of years now. So, it’s great that they have the chance to come out here and exercise their right to strike, and hopefully they get a good deal,” he said.
The negotiations started in June, and workers were in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11 after the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), representing workers province-wide, rejected the latest offer from the College Employer Council (CEC), which bargains on behalf of all 24 colleges in Ontario.
Owen Smith, the local OPSEU support staff president, told Newswatch in an interview that “the college and employer council has not reached out” to OPSEU’s bargaining team.
Smith said that, so far, he has heard students sharing their support as they enter the college grounds, but “they want us back in the building.”
“Right now, they’re not able to get the proper services that they need, i.e. some of the services are not available like core hours Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 4:30. I’ve heard rumours that services are only being offered on shorter time frames,” Smith said.
Confederation College has advised that staff and students will have to cross the picket lines to enter and exit the campus, and to do so with “patience and cooperation” to “maintain safety and respect for all parties.”
Smith said on Thursday he was almost struck by a passing motorist who “didn’t want to stop” at the picket line.
“I had to step out of the way at the last minute. Yes, there have been several instances, so I am in meetings with the college and we are trying to make sure it is well known to just please respect the picket line,” Smith said.
