With the provincial government taking action to send striking faculty at Ontario's colleges back to work, officials at St. Clair College are confident students will soon return to the classrooms.
Premier Kathleen Wynne introduced back-to-work legislation on Thursday, which was quickly blocked by Ontario New Democrats before it could be tabled. The Liberals have stated that they will reconvene the house at 3pm on Friday to try again to table the legislation. Debate on the issue could last into the weekend, however, the PC party has stated they will support the legislation.
"I think they just need a majority, so with that I'm sure that the back-to-work legislation will pass," says John Fairley, St. Clair College's vice president of college communications and community relations.
If passed, the legislation would end a faculty strike that is now in its fifth week, and has cancelled classes for more than half a million students across the province.
"The most important thing is our students, and if back-to-work legislation gets our students back in the classrooms so they can continue their semester at St. Clair College in Chatham and Windsor, that's important to us," says Fairley.
Fairley says he is encouraging friends and family to let students know that classes could resume as early as Monday.
"Maybe some have gone home, maybe some have taken full-time jobs or part-time jobs, [or] have left the area," he says. "We need to get the word out that there's a possibility of school starting next week."
Any updates on the St. Clair College's plans for students returning to class, can be found at StClairCollege.ca.