Striking support staff at Ottawa’s Algonquin College moved their protests to the college’s front entrance Thursday to draw attention to a lack of progress in contract talks.
“The Ontario Public Service Employees Union is hosting rallies at college campuses across Ontario, after talks broke down between the union and the College Employer Council,” Algonquin explained on its home page.
The union representing 10,000 support staff province-wide began strike action on Sept. 11.
On Thursday, strikers blocked the main entrance to Algonquin College on Woodroffe Avenue. Traffic camera video showed picketers marching across the intersection.
On its homepage, Algonquin College warned that road access to the Ottawa campus “may be blocked or significantly delayed” on Thursday.
“No learner will be penalized for being late or missing a class/deliverable because of this disruption,” the college said on its website. “You may experience long delays at campus entrances.”
Students and faculty were urged to consider alternatives to driving, including public transit and walking.
Picketing is legal, the college noted, and “you have the right to enter campus,” the college noted.
“Please remain calm and respectful.”
Negotiations between OPSEU and the College Employer Council (CEC), the bargaining agent for Ontario’s colleges, are ongoing, Algonquin says on its site.
Classes and other academic activities are proceeding normally, it added.
“While some campus services may be delayed or reduced, our priority remains supporting learners and employees throughout this disruption,” the college said on the website.
The union said job security remained “a critical concern.”
The union called a number of regional information meetings Thursday night to outline the “state of negotiations and what it’s going to take to win the deal we deserve.”
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