A student advocacy group is calling for a resumption of negotiations in the strike by support workers at Ontario community colleges. Brian Costantini, president of the College Student Alliance, says the impact on students will increase the longer the strike that started Sept. 1 continues.
The group says students from various colleges have reported problems getting needed services such as IT, child care and tutoring, and adds some students' semesters are threatened by the walkout.
The workers are members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents about 8,000 cleaners, food service staff, registration officers and other workers at the province's 24 colleges.
Wages and job protection are major issues in the dispute. The colleges say they will remain open during the strike, using management and non-unionized part-time staff.