By Nicole Peltier, North Bay
I was running late for my Masters class this morning (Wednesday) at Nipissing University. At 9 a.m., Canadore College faculty did not block traffic. I understand they did this because undergrads are in mid-terms and they didn't want students to be late for their exams. I waved at them while driving by, remembering when Nipissing University faculty went on strike... I cried on the fourth week.
During the Nipissing faculty strike, the Administration had control over use of student emails. NUSU could not directly, nor independently email its own student union members. The Admin sent us ‘updates’ of which I considered biased and some were highly inappropriate. I fear that Canadore students are encountering the same situation.
Nipissing University students wanted to remain neutral but that wasn't possible given our propensity to be critical thinkers. I walked with my professors in solidarity. Somewhere on the internet is a picture of me with my mentors on the picket lines.
I want Canadore students to walk with their instructors on the picket lines.
I want Canadore students to stand outside President George Burton's office and ask him why he gets unfettered access to publicly funded college assets for elite casino fundraisers of which the revenues are not released to the public.
Ask him why he failed to release a statement and dodged media requests for comment on the proposed 50%+ increase on his 2015 salary contract of $239,626 back in January of this year.
Let's be honest here... public sector executive salaries are obscene, especially since part-time precarious employment is on the rise. In 1991, Canadore had 235 full-time faculty. Compare that to 2017 where only 108 full-time jobs remain today.
At the post-secondary level, full-time positions are eliminated in favour of contract jobs. There is no job security and instructors are overworked for the amount of pay received.
Can you imagine working on contract, not knowing if you’ll have a job at the end? Can you imagine only being paid for class time and not meetings, marking, or class prep? Can you imagine having limits to what you can bring up as a problem to your employer? Labour issues that impact your instructors are the same ones that impact you now and into the future.
You can take action. Nipissing students deployed a sit-in that I was a party to. May I suggest camping outside President Burton's office during the day and sleeping in his boardroom at night? I'm sure he'd be open to discuss his comments in the media and ‘updates’ in your student emails. Food will be donated. There's probably comfy chairs, a bar fridge and Canadore College etched wine glasses to use, just like at Nipissing University.
If there's no bar fridge, I'll get you one. I’m sorry I can’t reserve an airplane hangar for a wicked casino party. However, Burton’s office is open and I’ll bring you wicked board games instead.
This letter is also for students all across Ontario. These are your schools. I encourage you to get involved.
Nicole Peltier
Editor's note. Ms Peltier has previously run politically for the Green Party.
