TORONTO – Leah Casselman, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union today said that the rampant use of part-timers in Colleges is undermining the quality of education in Ontario. Casselman was addressing the Rae Commission which was set up to review the design and funding of post-secondary education in Ontario.

Accompanying Casselman were representatives from the College of Applied Arts and Technology Support and Academic divisions as well as a University representative.

“Because part-timers cannot organize, the colleges are using them as a pool of cheap labour,” Casselman said. Wages for part-timers are about 30 per cent that of full time staff and part-timers have no pension or benefits. They have no access to professional development and no workload formula, so they can be loaded up with huge student numbers.

To preserve education quality in the colleges the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act has to be changed to allow part-timers to join a union. Part timers can organize in almost every other area of the private and public sector. Cost cutting of this type has an effect on the quality of work performed and on the quality of education students receive.

Casselman said that there is also need for a greater public accountability in the offices of college and university presidents. Resources intended for the classroom should not be siphoned off to cover administrative costs.

She told the commission that there needs to be a more transparent and open process in the universities. They should be included in the freedom of information legislation so that their administration is held more accountable for funds. There should also be a more seamless transition between the college and university systems.

“We need to ensure that post secondary education, both at colleges and universities remain a priority and to raise the quality of education in Ontario back to its past ranking as the leader in education in Canada.”

OPSEU represents about 15,000 academic and support staff working for Ontario's Community Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT).

Source: OPSEU Online