Classes at Centennial College will not be interrupted by a faculty strike.
A collective agreement between management and faculty is now official.

The Ontario Labour Relations Board (ORLB) tallied the official results of the Feb. 10 vote on Wednesday.

The vote decided whether faculty would accept management’s contract offer or reject it and risk a strike.

The final results of the vote showed 51.45 per cent of faculty voted to accept management’s contract offer.

On Feb. 10, 51 per cent of Ontario College teachers voted in favor of the province’s contract offer.

However, at the time the threat of a strike had not yet passed.

Ballots that were sent out to teachers on maternity leave and sick leave were still unaccounted for.

The ORLB could not release the official results until the ballots arrive by mail.

Ontario Public Service Employee Union (OPSEU) representative Jacques O’Sullivan said that around 500 ballots went out, but didn’t expect 500 to be counted.

“The only number that matters is the number of votes received in time,” he said. “Ballots post marked up to February 17 will be counted, anything later will not be considered.”

A total of 8,360 ballots were cast on Feb. 10.

A slim majority  of 210 decided the outcome of the vote with 4,285 accepting the contract offer and 4,075 rejecting it.

Now that the official results have averted the strike, faculty and students can focus on business as usual.

Journalism student Lloyd Quansah felt frustrated by the wait, but is relieved at the results.

“I am happy that the strike has been averted. I’m just glad that I can finish my semester on time.”

David McClyment, Fine Arts coordinator at Centennial College, is glad that students will not suffer the immediate damage of a strike.

However, he also thinks that the threat of a strike was symptomatic of bad communication between OPSEU and management.

“It remains to be seen what the union and management can work out on an ongoing basis,” he said.

Although a contract is now in place, it will expire in three years.

This means future generations of students might face a strike in the future.

McClyment believes that students and faculty should learn from this experience.

“Communication between the union and management has to be much better,” he said.

- Jennifer Romano