An arbitrator has given Ontario college faculty the same money settlement that was being offered by the employer after the disruptive and expensive five-week strike that the government force-finished in November. The sum is a 7.75 per cent raise over four years. The rancorous strike interrupted, delayed and in some cases likely destroyed the education plans of young people both foreign and Canadian. Thousands have been handed a full refund of their tuition, a surprise cost of the strike that has run to millions. In the end, the union said the strike was about the right of to “speak freely” on academic matters without fear or reprisals but the nature of the employer-employee relationship leaves this somewhat uncertain. The arbitrator wrote language which is said to please both sides. The colleges said the academic freedom section enshrines policies that “already existed at most colleges.” An expensive saw-off it seems.
