From the March 22nd Web version of the CTV news: http://www.ctv.ca

Arbitration proposed to end Ont. college strike

Updated Wed. Mar. 22 2006 7:42 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Talks to end Ontario's college strike broke down Wednesday afternoon but both sides are considering arbitration as an option to end the strike which has lasted more than two weeks.

According to a notice from Ontario Public Service Employees Union, negotiators for instructors are "calling on college management to agree to voluntary binding arbitration as provided for under the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act."

Chair of OPSEU's bargaining team, Ted Montgomery, broke a media blackout imposed by the mediator after the union walked away from talks.

"No negotiated settlement is possible with the current management bargaining team in place," Montgomery said.

He says further delays in finding an agreement could put the semester at risk for approximately 150,000 students throughout the province. The union proposed arbitration as a way to get students back to school as soon as possible.

After the union proposed binding arbitration, the College Compensation and Appointments Council, which negotiates for the colleges, proposed final offer selection arbitration to end the dispute.

Using that process both sides will make their final offer and an arbitrator will decide between the two.

College management says they are disappointed an agreement could not be reached.

"We are very sad and gravely disappointed that OPSEU has once again refused to negotiate a settlement with us," Joy Warkentin, chairwoman of the management's bargaining team said.

The union will consider management's arbitration proposal over night.

Either way, it appears that the dispute will go to arbitration. That bodes well for students worried about losing a full semester of studies because if either form of arbitration is used, classes could resume.

But it would not happen immediately. The union says it could take a couple of days before the picket lines could come down.

Class size is the central issue in this dispute. The union wants to see the numbers of students per classroom reduced from 29 to 25. They also want to secure more full-time teachers.

College management claims the union's workload demands would cost the system $135 million.

With files from The Canadian Press