Today, numerous Ontario Colleges came together and voted on a strike mandate. At first, I was confused as to what exactly a strike mandate was and what it can do.
After some further browsing of the web, I came across an informative PDF that explains: (resource)
What is a Strike Mandate?
A strike mandate is the authority, given by the employees affected through a strike vote, for strike action. A strike mandate is an effective leveraging tool for negotiating improved wages, benefits and working conditions: It tells the employer that the union’s members are unified and support the negotiating team.
Does a Strike Mandate lead to a Strike?
In most cases, NO. Often a strike mandate alone is sufficient to get the Employer to take the Union seriously in negotiations. CUPE 2361 (Physical Plant) and the Faculty Association both sought strike mandates in their most recent negotiations, and both successfully concluded their negotiations without striking.
However, a strike mandate does place the decision for strike action into the hands of the Council of Representatives should such a recommendation be made by the Executive.
I now understand what it means.
The numbers I'm finding right now mention the fact of being un-official and they are as follows:
74.76% Voter Turn-out
57.03% In Favour
42.97% Against
Results for each College
| College | “FOR” Strike | “AGAINST” Strike |
| Algonquin | 49.64% | 50.36% |
| Boréal | 87.04% | 12.96% |
| Cambrian | 60.61% | 39.39% |
| Canadore | 76.73% | 23.27% |
| Centennial | 70.15% | 29.85% |
| Conestoga | 45.78% | 54.22% |
| Confederation | 67.76% | 32.24% |
| Durham | 55.81% | 44.19% |
| Fanshawe | 41.01% | 58.99% |
| Fleming | 58.09% | 41.91% |
| George Brown | 59.07% | 40.93% |
| Georgian | 47.34% | 52.66% |
| Humber | 43.21% | 56.79% |
| La Cité | 76.72% | 23.28% |
| Lambton | 79.02% | 20.98% |
| Loyalist | 72.22% | 27.78% |
| Mohawk | 54.88% | 45.12% |
| Niagara | 62.45% | 37.55% |
| Northern | 63.00% | 37.00% |
| St. Clair | 56.79% | 43.21% |
| St. Lawrence | 37.57% | 62.43% |
| Sault | 80.99% | 19.01% |
| Seneca | 54.85% | 45.15% |
| Sheridan | 67.32% | 32.68% |
| TOTAL | 57.03% | 42.97% |
Hoping that if the strike occurs, a quick discussion and arrangement is made to appease those who are part of it and we [students] can get back to our studies without much interruption.
What's Your Take?
What are your thoughts on this strike? Are you a current student with an opinion? Are you about to graduate but realize that this possible strike could, potentially, push that further into the future?
Seeing how the colleges recently went on strike in 2005 or 2006 (I think)they shouldn't go on strike. However, if the demand is for a pay raise, they're most likly going to go on strike because teachers are unfairly underpaid as it is.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read, they've already raised the pay cap. Faculty is to receive a salary increase of 7.71% compounded (1.75%, 1.75%, 2%, 2%) over the next four years. The new maximum salary for faculty will increase to $103,975 on September 1, 2012. At this point, the workload has not been increased.
ReplyDelete