To the offices of: Premier, Minister of Advanced Education, MPP Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, Ted McMeekin MPP Etobicoke North, Shafiq Qaadri MPP Etobicoke Lakeshore, Hon. Peter Z. Milczyn MPP Hamilton Centre, MPP Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, Paul Miller MPP Hamilton Mountain, MPP London-Fanshawe, MPP London-North, MPP Niagara Falls, MPP Niagara West-Glanbrook, MPP Oakville, Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn MPP St. Catharines, James J. Bradley MPP Welland, Cindy Forster

Thursday, April 19th, 2018

RE: Open Letter to Premier Wynne, Minister Hunter & the Members of Provincial Parliament

The five-week faculty strike has long passed and College students across the province are continuing to deal with fallout from the work stoppage. It is imperative that we analyze the collective bargaining process as a whole, to improve future outcomes that equitably benefit OPSEU, the College Employer Council, and our students. Minister has promised to look at flaws in the bargaining process that led to the work stoppage (as quoted by CBC on November 17th, 2017).

Our six Ontario student associations, representing over 50,000 full time students, are not members of an external advocacy organization. We therefore make the following recommendations to ensure our students’ voices are heard and acknowledged:

- Post-secondary education should never be put at risk due to bargaining. We recommend that every possible attempt is made between both parties to ensure that a fair resolution occur far in advance of a contract expiring, as we understand initial negotiations began in July 2017 to no avail. Prior to the next strike, whenever that should be, we strongly urge the College Employer Council and OPSEU to both come to the table with open minds, in order to effectively communicate and resolve any negotiation issues.

- Counsellors need to be deemed an essential service. The mental health of all involved ​ was severely broken down during the five-week time period and this is absolutely unacceptable. The Ontario government must come up with a solution to the vast shortage

of counselling and wellness services that were offered during the strike and include that in any existing strike contingency plans currently in place.

- There is a need for one collective body of student representatives during a strike. The ​ student leaders who created this letter recognize the importance of connecting with student advocacy organizations such as CSA and CFS. However we recommend that during a strike the Ontario government pull together regional (Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western) student union representatives from colleges across Ontario and seek their input as well as student advocacy organizations. Students need to be heard during a strike and be kept aware of occurrences in the bargaining process as they are directly affected. This is one way to ensure that happens.

In consideration of the Minister’s promise, we trust that you take these recommendations for deliberation and communicate with us all to improve the bargaining process in the future.

Sincerely,

Morganna Sampson Ryan Huckla, President President, Fanshawe Students’ Union Niagara College Student Admin. Council [email protected] [email protected]

Samantha Hoover Enrique Ponce President, Mohawk Students’ Association President, Sheridan Student Union [email protected] [email protected]

Jodi Afonso, President Student Union of Confederation College Inc. [email protected]