The President of the Grey Bruce Labour Council is concerned for the future of post secondary institutions including Georgian College in Owen Sound. Kevin Smith urges the province to step up and fix the crisis in the system, as well as post secondary funding failures.
Smith says residents should be shocked that Laurentian University has entered insolvency proceedings. And Smith warns that could be the future of many of the province's colleges and universities.
He points out the crisis at Laurentian is merely a symptom of the much larger problem of chronic underfunding of Ontario’s post-secondary education system, and the refusal of any short-term funding during the pandemic.
He says Laurentian is laying off over 80 faculty members, numerous staff, and cutting over 60 programs.
Grey Bruce Labour Council VP for Grey, Chris Stephen, warns “that Owen Sound and the City Council must act now to make it known that they insist on action from the Ford government to address items such as chronic underfunding of post-secondary institutions in Ontario. This funding will not only ensure sustainability for Georgian College, but for post-secondary institutions across Ontario.”
The Grey Bruce Labour Council passed unanimously a motion calling on the Ford government to adequately fund post-secondary institutions across Ontario. The Labour Council anticipates that his would involve intensive aid to mitigate the tragic situation at Laurentian University.
“Workers and the communities living in fear of public institutions going bankrupt, tears the very fabric of a socially responsible society. It is not too late for the Ontario government to step in, fix ehe crisis at Laurentian, and ensure that no other post-secondary institution or any other public institution faces the same fate. Ford and Romano must stop putting ideology over protecting the public institutions Ontarians rely on – especially in the midst of a pandemic,” says Labour Council Secretary, Amy Stephen.
Anna Morrison, Labour Council Sergeant at Arms, cautions against excusing funding shortfalls due to the pandemic. “Excusing this, and allowing it to happen despite our current situation, will only make it all the more difficult to emerge successfully from COVID-19.”