St. Clair students to lose “too much education” if there’s a strike

St. Clair College students are feeling the effects of an impending strike.

The union representing all 24 of Ontario’s public colleges has set Monday, Oct. 16 as the first day a full-scale strike could begin, and students are concerned.

“I look at it as a positive thing. The students and faculty are going to have some sort of time off,” said Nicholas Iossifidis, a second-year marketing student.

Fellow marketing student Ethan Sinclair has a more negative view of the strike.

“Even though it is our teachers going on strike … the students are going to be losing out on their education. That’s the big thing. If we lose out on too much education, we’re going to lose our semester. That’s not good for anybody. Hopefully, they can come to an agreement,” said Sinclair.

Students should expect to be met with picket lines at the south campus, St. Clair Centre for the Arts and the Chatham campus. The college maintains that all campus services will remain open for students, including full access of the Sportsplex and Healthplex.

For up-to-date information on the status of the strike, visit stclaircollege.ca.

St. Clair College has also created a post to answer students’ questions.

The employer representing the colleges is called the College Employer Council.

The union representing the faculty is OPSEU.