TORONTO - The union representing Ontario's 9,000 community college teachers has extended its strike deadline while members vote on a so-called "final" contract offer from the colleges.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says the new strike deadline is Feb. 17. The previous deadline was Feb. 11.
The Ontario Labour Relations Board will oversee a Feb. 10 vote by college faculty on the proposed "final offer," which was rejected by OPSEU.
Dr. Rachael Donovan, chair of the colleges' bargaining team, says the offer is "fair and reasonable." She said it includes a 5.9 per cent wage hike over three years.
The deal would raise the maximum pay for college teachers to $102,186 by September 2011.
Ted Montgomery, chair of the union's bargaining team, said the union recommends its members reject the offer.
"We are asking our members to send a strong message to the employer that this offer is not acceptable," Montgomery said in a statement.
"Once rejected, we will invite the employer to return to the table and start seriously bargaining to get to a negotiated collective agreement."
College faculty members gave the union a 57 per cent strike mandate in January, but management asked that the contract be put to the teachers directly for a vote.
If the teachers reject the deal and walk out, the strike would affect more than 200,000 full-time students at 24 colleges across Ontario.
The dispute is over workload, academic freedom and management's decision in November to impose an offer on the teachers without a vote.
The union says salary is not a major issue.
