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“The College of the North Atlantic plays a crucial role in ensuring that we are adequately prepared to deal with this labour force crunch. It is counterintuitive to cut instructional and support staff at the College at this crucial point.” - Carol Furlong, NAPE President.
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St. John's (13 July 2012) - A recent round of cuts at the College of the North Atlantic (CNA) will have a negative impact on educational programs as well as the ability of the college to prepare our province for the upcoming labour shortage says Carol Furlong, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE).
In recent weeks, layoff notices have been handed out at multiple campuses of the College across the province. To date, the union is aware of 15 support staff positions that have been cut. In addition, 23 instructional positions are not being renewed. The affected positions include instructors, clerks, LAN administrators, researchers, custodians, computer support specialists and trades workers.
“The government assured the people of this province that there would be no negative impact on certain public services. Education was specifically included in that group,” says Furlong. “So far, this important area of the public sector appears to be among the first areas impacted by government’s desire to cut three percent across the board.”
Nine of the 23 instructional positions being cut at the College are in the Comprehensive Arts and Sciences (CAS) Transition program. The CAS program is designed for high school and Adult Basic Education graduates who are trying to improve their employability or who are trying to upgrade their marks in order to move on to post-secondary studies. The remaining 14 positions are in a variety of programs at CNA.
“The provincial government has been talking about the need to prepare for the looming labour shortage in the province for several years,” stated Furlong. “The College of the North Atlantic plays a crucial role in ensuring that we are adequately prepared to deal with this labour force crunch. It is counterintuitive to cut instructional and support staff at the College at this crucial point.”
NAPE represents over 25,000 public and private sector workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, including approximately 1,400 instructors and support staff at the College of the North Atlantic.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE