John Esposito, former student in the Gemmology and Jewellery Arts programs at George Brown College, is no stranger to getting his hands dirty, both literally and metaphorically. From growing up in a working-class family back in England to barreling through 100-hour work weeks at one point, his path certainly has been rocky. But his determination…
Ramadan is a mandatory observance for Muslims whereby individuals are expected to fast from sunrise to sunset over the course of a month. And no, even water isn’t allowed. The month, as it is a time when blessings are said to be multiplied, is meant to be a period of reconnecting with one’s spirituality, engaging…
Photo courtesy of George Brown College On March 21, the college announced that it would promote Dr. Cory Ross, an individual who has held numerous leadership positions at GBC for the past nearly 15 years, as its Provost. In the announcement, his role is described as the person responsible for “George Brown’s strategy in the…
On Monday, VP of Student Success Chris McGrath released a statement providing a list of changes to health and safety protocol on campus beginning May 1, including the removal of the college’s mask and physical distancing requirements. Earlier this month, GBC announced that proof of vaccination would no longer be needed to enter any one…
“Every single day is a challenge, because you don’t know what might happen in the next 20 minutes, in an hour. It is devastating, mentally and physically.” Kateryna Postrybailo, a postgraduate digital media marketing student from Kyiv, could not have imagined that her final academic semester would be riddled with so much fear, anxiety and…
After hours of discussions last night, the union representing college faculty and the College Employer Council agreed to binding interest arbitration. Following a week of tension and uncertainty, the union has officially suspended a strike action that was scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. today. “We have said all along that binding interest arbitration is…
In a Twitter update released by the bargaining team on Monday morning, the college faculty team – which represents faculty at 24 Ontario colleges including George Brown – announced that they will be setting a strike deadline to push the CEC to either continue with negotiations or enter binding interest arbitration. If neither option is…
When asked what he would say to the students affected by Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, vice president of Student Success Chris McGrath hesitated. “In some ways, I’m at a bit of loss for words, because.. what do you say?” George Brown College has identified approximately 250 international students who are of Ukrainian or Russian…
As of March 2, the faculty union has ramped up its labour action effort to lobby college employers for the need to return to negotiations. Following the rejection of the Forced Offer Vote (FOV) by the union, the CEC has refused to compromise and continues to maintain its position. In a statement released today, the…
From February 15-17, OPSEU-O members participated in a referendum following the college employer’s initiation of a ‘Forced Offer Vote‘ (FOV). Of the faculty members who voted, 62 per cent were opposed to the CEC’s offer. The FOV can only be used once, and is therefore considered to be their ‘final’ offer. The request contains virtually…
In February of last year, we witnessed the very first sparks of what would become a tense, hostile and ultimately unsuccessful bargaining round. The College Employer Council (CEC) proposed an offer to extend their collective agreement with the provincial college union OPSEU-O despite faculty concerns over the need to review and update its terms. The…
While students were hopeful of the possibility of returning to in-person classes following intersession week, the college announced on Friday that it has decided to not to re-open campuses until at least the end of the semester. Students received word of this via an e-mail from Dr. Chris McGrath, vice-president of Student Success. Prior to…
