Half a million college students and their professors, counselors and librarians want classes to continue but face a strike or lockout.

The Ontario college system is in crisis, yet college administrators refuse to negotiate the demands of college faculty. Colleges are only willing to offer lump sum bonuses and salary increases whereas faculty seek improved quality of education for students and fair working conditions.

We urge the government of Ontario to call on colleges to negotiate these important issues:

1) The exploitation of precarious faculty on part-time contracts is not sustainable. 

81% of class hours are delivered by underpaid contract faculty with no job security or remuneration for preparing courses, meeting students or evaluating their work.

Bill 148, the “Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act” before the House calls for pay equity. Shouldn't the Colleges respect this? Talk about it at the negotiating table.

2) Academic freedom respects faculty as experts in making academic decisions about what is taught in their classrooms. 

Currently, decisions are being made by administrators who have never been in a college classroom. Should accountants decide how a nursing class should run? Talk about it at the negotiating table.

3) An academic senate would give students and faculty a defined role in making academic decisions about education. 

Universities across Canada have senates. A senate would allow faculty to share in college governance. Shouldn't Ontario's colleges have academic senates? Talk about it at the negotiating table.