Twenty-two days after college faculty walked off the job provincewide, Ontario’s colleges are asking to be allowed to take their latest offer straight to the picket line, a last ditch move that’s unexpected and “risky,” analysts say.

Ontario’s College Employer Council slung some mud Monday after renewed talks with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) broke down, accusing the union representing 12,000 striking faculty of unreasonably refusing to accept its offer.

It’s now appealing to the province’s Labour Relations Board to force a vote on the offer with OPSEU’s rank and file members — a high-stakes move according to one labour relations expert.

“It’s a risky strategy . . . Employers are often reluctant to go to a vote is because if they lose, they’re in a very difficult situation,” said Wayne Lewchuk, economics and labour studies professor at McMaster University.

“It reinforces the union’s stand to say the deal is not acceptable.”

Though an overwhelming rejection of the offer by striking workers can potentially give the OPSEU more power at the bargaining table, Lewchuk said colleges might want to take their deal straight to the front line if they think union top brass have misread the mood of their members.

Employers may also force a vote if they think strike-weary pickets, now in their fourth week braving the chilly fall weather and facing pressure from students, are looking for a way to end the job action, Lewchuk said.

After five days of talks turned up no deal, the colleges have asked for the strike to be suspended, allowing faculty to return to class while Ontario’s labour relations watchdog sets the vote date.

But public policy analyst Tony Dean isn’t holding his breath an interim return to work is in the cards.

“It’s something that’s certainly possible, but I would doubt that’s going to happen . . . A strike is a strike,” said the senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s school of public policy and governance.

Dean said it will be up to OPSEU whether it sends its faculty back while the vote is being organized.

More than 12,000 instructors, librarians and counsellors at Ontario’s 24 public colleges have been off the job since Oct. 16 after the union and council failed to reach a deal.

Among other issues, OPSEU is concerned about job security and what it says is the increasing use of often lower-paid contract instructors. The union has called for colleges to employ the same number of full-time instructors as casual or contract faculty — a proposal the council said would cost $250 million.

In a statement, the council said it listened to the union in its latest offer and proposed policies that would enhance full-time employment opportunities, boost pay and ensure better rights and better job security for contract faculty.

“OPSEU’s insistence on continuing the strike is a terrible outcome for students and faculty,” said the council’s bargaining chair Sonia Del Missier in a statement.

“We addressed all faculty priorities and the offer that is available for faculty right now on the table should have ended this strike.”

Firing back, OPSEU accused the council of ushering in a strike-prolonging vote instead of staying the course at the bargaining table.

“The colleges have called a vote that, in itself, could easily keep faculty and students out of their classrooms for another two weeks,” said OPSEU bargaining chair JP Hornick in a statement. OPSEU’s strike vote in September took two weeks to organize and complete.

The union said vote, which could be held at more than 100 campuses, needs to be supervised by staff from the Labour Relations Board.

Hornick urged the colleges to come back to the bargaining table and negotiate a deal OPSEU can recommend to its members. “We can have faculty back in the classrooms tomorrow and hold the ratification vote after,” he said.

Dean said if a vote is called by the labour board, OPSEU will likely campaign heavily urging its members to reject the offer.

“In many cases union members will want to support their union, but not in all cases,” he said, adding pressure and worry about completing the school year might make some members look at the council’s offer twice.

“I had a lot of hope, with them going into meeting Nov. 2 that some good would come of it . . ,” said Fanshawe Student Union advocacy and communications co-ordinator Jahmoyia Smith. “There’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of stress. Students just want to get back in the classroom.”

jbieman@postmedia.com

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