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"Will the Liberals stop forcing Ontario’s colleges to seek revenue sources through offshore boondoggles? Or will they adequately fund our colleges so they can focus on providing the skills that bring jobs and prosperity to the province?" — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President
Toronto (14 Jan. 2016) — As more facts come to light on Algonquin College’s questionable presence in Saudi Arabia, Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE), is seeking answers from Reza Moridi, Minister for Training, Colleges and Universities.
Premier has not responded to OPSEU/NUPGE questions
“Each passing day brings more troubling revelations about Algonquin’s business dealings in Saudi Arabia. I first wrote Premier Kathleen Wynne on this matter 10 months ago. I’m still waiting for an answer. In fact, there hasn’t been one word from this government about its college deals with the Saudis," said Thomas.
“No doubt, the Liberals have been crossing their fingers that this would all blow over so they could just carry on starving community colleges. But with their federal cousins determined to sell arms to a regime that beheads its opposition, the inconvenient question of doing business with Saudi Arabia isn’t going away.”
Jack Wilson, Vice-President of OPSEU Local 415 and a professor at Algonquin, noted that the international conglomerate Pearson TQ had already pulled out of three campuses for financial reasons.
Government needs to provide adequate resources to colleges
Thomas said it’s high time the government broke its silence. “It appears that Algonquin failed in its due diligence. What about ministry staff? Did they ask the pertinent questions? Did they inform the minister of the Saudi deals? Who gave the green light?"
“What will Minister Moridi do now? Will he tell Algonquin and Niagara to shutter their doors in Saudi Arabia? Will the Liberals stop forcing Ontario’s colleges to seek revenue sources through offshore boondoggles? Or will they adequately fund our colleges so they can focus on providing the skills that bring jobs and prosperity to the province?" he said.
“How many mass executions will it take to bring our college faculty back to Ontario?”
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 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