How will a strike or lockout affect me?
- It may delay your course completion and graduation plans.
- For graduate students, it may delay your research and result in the postponement of your thesis defense.
- It may affect your job search or plans for starting a job.
- It may interfere with your internship or co-op placement.
- It hurts your university experience.
Why?
- Professors (who are part of the faculty association) are not (1) teaching their courses or (2) supervising their thesis and graduate students.
- The University has revoked professors’ access to the Canvas course management system, so we cannot see your messages and respond to them. We are not ignoring you.
We do not want this strike. It is bad for you (our students). It is bad for us. It also reflects poorly on our university. Please email President Steven Murphy ([email protected]) and ask him to find a quick resolution to this strike.
Can I do anything to help resolve this strike?
Yes, of course.
Please contact President Steven Murphy ([email protected]) asking him to find a quick resolution to this strike.
You can contact us at [email protected].
Is there a chance that the academic term or the exam schedule could be impacted?
Yes.
Depending upon how long the strike lasts, there is a good chance that the exam schedule will be impacted. The university may decide to push back or condense the examination period.
We are very aware of the impact this has on students. Exam schedule discussion is an important piece as we return once the strike is over.
How do I contact my professor?
The university has decided to revoke professors’ access to the Canvas course management system. Therefore, unfortunately we will not receive your messages, and we cannot respond to them.
I am an international student; what does the strike mean for my status as a study permit holder?
Your status as a study permit holder will not be affected; however, at the same time the strike may delay your course completion or graduation plan. You must continue to have valid status as a student in Canada to be able to return to class after the strike is over.
Please note that during the strike:
- You will not face any enforcement action because your studies have been interrupted.
- You are still able to work off-campus for up to 20 hours per week if your study permit allows for this.
- You are still eligible for the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program.
What has led to this Strike?
This strike is about working conditions that have a huge impact on the quality of education that you receive, the depth and scope of co-curricular activities that affect your physical, emotional, and mental health, and your overall university experience.
Example 1: our university has among the highest student-to-faculty ratio in the province, which severely limits our ability to offer the breadth of courses available at other places, both at the undergraduate and the graduate level. Feel free to explore the courses offered at Ontario Tech U at MyOntarioTech and compare this list with courses offered at some other GTA universities.
Example 2: our university doesn’t recognize research or thesis supervision as teaching, which limits our ability to provide research positions and experiential learning opportunities to our students as most of our time is taken by teaching courses. Research is an important piece of your undergraduate, and of course graduate, education. It expands your learning skills and vastly improves your job prospects.
This strike is not about financial compensation. Bill 124 limits salary increases for public-sector employees to 1%.
What is going to happen to our courses, labs, and tutorials?
Any lectures, labs, or tutorials taught by your professor who is a member of the faculty association will be canceled.
Teaching assistants will continue to cover labs or tutorials, where possible.
Please note that they may be limited in the kind of instruction that they may be able to provide since the course instructors are no longer involved in course delivery. Courses taught by sessionals may continue.
How can I access more information on the status of negotiations?
University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association website (https://uoitfa.wpengine.com/) contains up-to-date strike related information.