A little more than three weeks after returning to class, students at more than a dozen Ontario colleges are planning a walkout.
James Fauvelle, president of Ontario Students United tells NEWSTALK 1010 wants to draw attention to lingering, unresolved issues from the five-week strike by faculty and the provincial government's response.
Back-to-work legislation passed November 19 sent outstanding issues between colleges and OPSEU were sent to binding mediation-arbitration.
Fauvelle tells NEWSTALK 1010, students at the following colleges will protest at noon on Friday:
-Algonquin College
-Canadore College
-Centennial College
-Durham College
-Fanshawe College
-George Brown College
-Guelph-Humber College
-Humber College
-Loyalist College
-Niagara College
-Seneca College
-Sheridan College
-St. Clair College
On top of school calendar that has been both condensed and extended, Fauvelle says students continue to struggle with the financial effects of the work stoppage. He says payouts of up to $500 from a relief fund to students who incurred unforeseen costs is insufficient and excludes many.
"I have not met nobody in my school...that has been approved for the relief fund. Like, the vetting process is ridiculous," Fauvelle said Wednesday.
"I'm a mature student. I'm going to lose $3,000 that nobody is going to make up for. I have to be in school now until (December) 22 nd, a week later. Nobody's going to hire me to make up for those I usually make on those three weeks off."
The province has said the relief fund is meant to help with unexpected things like extra child care, rebooked travel tickets or January rent.
In a news release Ontario Students United says they are highlighting five demands.
1. 2017 Strike Refund
We demand that the colleges open a new dialogue to create a fairer and more effective refund mechanism than what is currently being offered to students.
2. Faculty for Fairness
We demand that college faculty be provided more academic freedom, fair workloads and an increase to the amount of full-time instructors.
3. Democratization of the College Employer Council
We demand that the College Employer Council restructure its membership structure to include one-third student representation, one-third faculty representation and one-third administration representation.
4. Democratization of Campuses
We demand the creation of an academic senate at every college to serve as its highest academic decision-making body with its membership comprised of one-third student, one- third faculty, and one-third administration representation.
5. Increased Campus Equality
We demand more funding and increased support services for First Nations and International services.
In conversation with NEWSTALK 1010, Fauvelle shared a different list of demands, seven of them. While they overlap with those in the news release, Fauvelle explicitly called for all of Ontario's 500,000 students to get $500 in relief cash, no strings attached.
Fauvelle insists international students have been intimidated and threatened with revocation of their visas if they dropped out of school.
The government said Tuesday nearly 25,700 or 10% of full time college had withdrawn and been granted full refunds after the strike.
Fauvelle demanded that any savings by colleges for not running classes be given back to students.
Last month, Minister of Advanced Education Minister Deb Matthews said those savings were being funnelled into the relief fund for students.