Budget invests more into post-secondary education, but freezes salaries

The new provincial budget is a mixed bag - $310-million towards Ontario's colleges and universities; and frozen salaries for about 350,000 non-unionized public servants, and keeping negotiations for unionized staff off the table.

Fanshawe College is delighted at the increase in funding for postsecondary institutions. In addition to more money, there's also funding for 20,000 new spaces for new students — all to ensure that more individuals get the opportunity to secure a diploma or degree.

“There will be an increase of people wanting to get in. Students want an education beyond secondary school,” said Howard Rundle, president of Fanshawe College.

In fact, the provincial government hopes to increase the attainment rate of post-secondary degrees and diplomas to 70 per cent — up from 62 per cent — because more employers are requesting potential employees have that added education, said Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, John Milloy.

There will also be a program developed that will allow credits to be transferred more fairly, as many students choose college then look to go into university afterwards.

“It's (been) a big concern. Over the years, all too often college grads going into university don't get credit for the work they've done,” said Rundle. “If they do get credit, they have to fight for it individually.”

He added that they are looking to give students “more credit, fairer credit” but that they're not expecting any quick fixes.

“We've been wanting this for 20 years,” he said. “The process is painfully slow but the government is really insisting on it.”

It not only costs students but (also) the government. They're (the government) funding (the students) for something they already funded them for.”

Students looking for summer jobs through the Ontario Summer Jobs program may have more luck as $39-million is being put into this upcoming summer to help employers — particularly non-profit organizations — so they are able to hire students.

However, while students seemed to be a strong focus of the provincial budget — public servants may not be so happy with the focus on them.

Their salaries have been frozen immediately, and unionized workers will be unable to negotiate further salary increases, as a means to halt long-term capital spending.

Milloy said it was necessary.

“Fifty-five per cent of the budget goes to public services. These are serious financial challenges,” he said. “We're asking everyone to work together.”

He also noted his own salary would be frozen.

“We respect collective bargaining and respect unions but we have to do some belt-tightening.”

For Fanshawe, full-time support staff workers' contracts are up next summer so it remains to be seen what these new developments mean for them.

Rundle anticipates that when the contract is up, the college will ask support staff to accept the salary freeze for two years, but they won't force it.

“It will be a matter of how tough college management will be,” said Rundle.

He added that if the college were to settle with the staff and give a wage increase, the government will not provide any money for it; but if they don't settle, there's the possibility of a strike.

“It puts the college between a rock and a hard place,” he said.

But until the legislation is written up, it's all speculation for now.

“We don't know the rules yet,” he said.