Many Students and staff at Humber Polytechnic and Ontario’s 23 other colleges went into the holiday break expecting a potential strike.
A strike was looking more and more likely as the three weeks off neared the end.
The good news was that an agreement with mediation arbitration was reached between the College Employer Council (CEC) and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), negating any further complications.
As a student one semester away from graduation, I can say the strike being adverted is best, not just for me, but for all students affected.
If no agreement was reached, a regular school day would feel a lot different as classes would be cancelled and the school year most likely extended.
This isn't the first instance Humber has been close to an academic halt.
In winter 2017, no contract agreement resulted in a five-week college strike across the province. It ended only when the then-Liberal provincial government legislated an end to the strike.
Third-year sports management student, Callum Kokkinos said that the prevention of a strike was the best outcome for him and many others.
“Yeah, I'm happy that the strike didn't happen and I think I can speak for a lot of other people too,” Kokkinos said. “To be honest, I'm just happy I can finish this semester without any problems and more stress.”
Another issue that students would've run into if a strike occurred would be graduation timing.
Students would be forced to continue their semester as it would be extended due to what would've been missed time during the strike. This would ultimately push graduation back for students.
An example of a strike that caused many delays for education and students happened at York University in 2024. That strike started on Feb. 26 and lasted until April 22, which caused all classes and exams to be suspended.
Students who attended the university had to take summer courses to make up for the lost time.
Stephen Vidale who is in his second year in the Global Geography program at York University said having to complete school in the summer because of a strike was not ideal.
“It sucked that I had to do school in the summer,” Vidale said. “I mean, I kinda had a break when the strike was going on but I didn't finish until May. I wouldn't want to go through that again.”
This is the biggest reason why I am glad Humber along with the 23 other Ontario colleges will not be going on strike as I would not want to continue my semester into potentially the summer months.
During the summer I rather enjoy the heat than have my head stuck in textbooks.
Although I'm sure most students are happy the strike has been averted, some might've liked the idea of getting an added break between semesters.
Derek Fontes who is in his final year at Humber in the Electrical Techniques program, said time off wouldn't be a bad thing but is content with the outcome of the situation.
“If we went on strike I definitely wouldn't be mad at the time off but at the same time, I'm happy nothing happened,” Vidale said. “I can graduate on time without any problems.”
No matter what opinions you have on the strike, that is now in the past as students and faculty are now back to regular class routines.
