Good morning folks,
I hope by now you’ve seen the news that teams representing Colleges and OPSEU CAAT met throughout the day and late into the evening yesterday to avoid planned labour action that was to begin today. For our students and the SLC team, this means there will be no strike or work-to-rule action and college programming and operations are proceeding as per usual.
As I entered our college this morning, it was with more than a little sense of relief, and a large amount of optimism. I was happy to see students and employees coming in to continue their work and learning, and I look forward to the continued increase of activity on our campuses in coming days, which we have been planning for, for months. As we move forward and continue strengthening our shared community of acceptance, inclusion, and belonging, I hope folks can find a moment to also reflect. The increased strain and uncertainty of the weeks leading up to last night has been difficult on many, and those pressures can take a toll. I encourage people who need to process what you are feeling, or who need support in any way, to reach out. Students and employees have resources available that are confidential, simple to connect with, and that can help.
Now we move forward with continued focus on helping our students succeed and get across the finish line of their semester, and for some, their program. We have spring convocation dates in the calendar, and student events like the spring bash and SNAP’d nights coming up, and of course the Open Houses and Athletics Banquet in April which are important events for our students and community. I am proud of the SLC teams working to make events like these happen, and I am thankful for the teams that maintain college services and operations day in and day out, to ensure SLC keeps running smoothly.
In closing, details of the agreement and arbitration between colleges and the union will be made available in the next few days and if anyone has questions about the information that is shared, or the process as it unfolds, feel free to contact me or email strikeinformation@sl.on.ca.
Looking ahead with optimism and wishing you all a good weekend,
Glenn