SUDBURY – This morning, the Laurentian University Faculty Association has gone on strike following years of underfunding to Ontario’s post-secondary sector. MPP Jamie West (Sudbury) and SMPP Peggy Sattler (London West) released this joint statement:
“We stand in full solidarity with the workers at Laurentian and across Ontario’s post-secondary institutions,” said West. “Sudbury cannot afford more cuts to colleges and universities. Laurentian students, faculty, and workers know first-hand the cost of cuts to the sector and the failure to meet the needs of small, rural, and northern institutions. We will continue standing with the Laurentian community to demand stable, predictable funding that protects jobs and keeps post-secondary education accessible in the North.”
“Years of government cuts and frozen funding have created a crisis that is now hurting everyone,” said Sattler. “Students have fewer options; vital workers are losing their jobs, and across the province, employers are struggling to find skilled graduates. Our communities will feel these cuts for generations to come. Ontario cannot build a strong workforce or a resilient economy by starving post-secondary education. We are calling for real, sustainable investment so our colleges and universities can serve students, employers, and communities now and for decades to come.”