Ontario's colleges have confirmed that a vote on a contract proposal is set for next week.
The College Employer Council says that the Ontario Labour Relations Board has ordered a vote to take place next Tuesday through Thursday, November 14 to 16.
The vote will be conducted electronically to allow as many faculty members to participate as possible.
The council is still urging the faculty union to suspend the strike at least until the vote is tabulated and allow students to return to the classroom.
"We are still over a week away from the vote results being known and we again request that the strike be suspended for the sake of 500,000 students," says college bargaining team chairperson Sonia Del Missier in a statement. "The suspension will allow faculty and students to return to class and not lose another week of classes."
Faculty at all 24 of Ontario's colleges walked off the job October 16 in a dispute over wages and job security. The two sides have resumed talking after the colleges rejected the union's latest offer Tuesday. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents the faculty, says students are at risk of losing an entire semester.
Some colleges have announced revised contingency plans as the strike drags on. St. Clair College, for example, announced it will extend the semester to December 22, allow a week-long holiday break, then resume the fall schedule right after the new year.
Faculty will receive balloting instructions over the next few days, according to the OLRB.