TORONTO, ON – Friday morning’s announcement by Fleming College and St. Lawrence College leadership to begin the process of merging the two institutions sent ripples across the the union representing college faculty and support staff, OPSEU/SEFPO, as news broke to over 2500 delegates convening for their annual union convention.
“Just as we warned that without provincial investment, college campuses would begin to close – and they did – we cautioned that mergers were on the horizon,” said JP Hornick, freshly re-elected yesterday as OPSEU/SEFPO President. “This government has clearly demonstrated an agenda to gut public services and education, so we know how this story ends: more cuts, and less support for students and communities.”
“For months, government officials and college presidents have sidelined direct questions about their plans for our colleges,” said Marcia Steeves, President of Local 351 representing Fleming College support staff, adding that union locals at both colleges were not consulted in advance.
“The decision to blindside workers like this is an insult to the years, even decades, of our lives we have dedicated to upholding our campus communities,” said Christina Decarie, President of Local 417, representing St. Lawrence College faculty.
Hornick challenged the consolidation as neither inevitable nor necessary, drawing attention back to the provincial spending choices.
“When it comes to corporate bailouts, luxury spas, or speeding up alcohol privatization, there’s billions in public dollars to subsidize private interests. But when it comes to our public colleges, something we universally benefit from, Ford always comes up dry.”
“Resources are being drained from our communities, especially small and rural ones, in real-time,” added Steeves. “This goes beyond party lines – it’s about what will be left for generations to come.”
“1 in every 100 Ontarians is an OPSEU/SEFPO member,” said Hornick. “We are in every town, every city, and damn near every sector – and unified, we will fight like hell to protect the heart of this province.”
“Public services are here to stay, as are the workers fighting for them – and we’ll be here long after Ford and his government are gone.”