We Are Oshawa supports college faculty on strike at Durham College and across Ontario. We are inviting you to join us on the picket line at Durham College (North Campus) on Thursday, November 9 between 12PM and 4PM. We are also asking for volunteers to help distribute a hot lunch to workers on the picket line.

Faculty have been on strike to protect academic freedom, implement a 50/50 cap on part-time faculty, and improve job security. With the strike now in its fourth week, the College Employer Council (CEC) has walked away from the table and requested a forced vote on its latest offer from the Labour Board. The vote will take place between November 14 and 16.

While students are at risk of losing their semester and faculty are making significant personal sacrifices by being on strike, Durham College President Don Lovisa, along with his colleagues on the CEC, continues to earn his annual salary of over $277,000.

We Are Oshawa supports striking college faculty because we know that a strong post-secondary education system is a critical part of our community’s social fabric. As publicly-funded institutions, colleges are not only accountable to students and faculty - they are also accountable to the communities in which they exist. We know that a strong post-secondary education system means protecting academic freedom and ensuring workers have access to good, stable employment.

We Are Oshawa calls on Durham College President Don Lovisa to be accountable to the community he serves. He should to use his position to encourage the CEC to go  back to the table and end this strike by agreeing to the demands of the union.