Canadian Federation of StudentsThe Canadian Federation of Students is calling on both sides in the Nipissing faculty strike to end the labour disruption “in a fair and balanced manner” and bring students back into class.

In a release, the Nipissing University Student Union says the impact on students, “due to uncertainty moving forward with the rest of the academic year, has resulted in significant mental, emotional and financial strain.”

The release goes on to say, “The doubt faced by many students prevents them from seeking employment opportunities, and leaves their academic and financial success in peril.”

The strike is now into it’s fourth week with exploratory talks slated between the two sides and a provincial mediator.

Meantime, students at Nipissing have put together a video describing the impact of the strike.

 

Here’s the text of the entire Canadian Federation of Students letter:

 

Dear Nipissing community,

On behalf of 350,000 students college and university students in the province, we are writing to express our desire for a fair and negotiated settlement that can bring an end to the current labour disruption at Nipissing University.

Throughout the province, students and their teachers have been feeling the lasting effects of chronic underfunding from successive Ontario governments. Large class-sizes, lack of job security for professors, rising tuition fees and degradation of campus facilities are all the byproducts of decades of funding cuts and fee increases. However, as much as the province can be blamed for these issues, institutions also share responsibility for ensuring they meet their financial obligations and do right by students, staff, faculty and the broader community.

The current strike is a result of all these issues compounded by a crisis in collegial governance and the unfortunate financial circumstances the university has found itself in. Yet these circumstances should not be a pretext to delay negotiation or immediately rebuff any topics on the table for discussion, leaving students out of class. As the third largest employer in North Bay, Nipissing University has a responsibility to come together and work through these differences collaboratively with faculty – this is the nature and purpose of collective bargaining.

There are indeed many challenges Nipissing must face, some that are shared by other institutions and some that are unique to the university alone, but none of these obstacles can be overcome without a willingness to talk. For these reasons we urge you to do all that you can to bring both parties back to the negotiating table to end this strike in a fair and balanced manner, bringing faculty off the picket lines and most importantly for our members, bringing student back into class.

Sincerely,

Rajean Hoilett                             Gabrielle Ross-Marquette
Chairperson                                National Executive Representative