‘Not OK’ — UWindsor students, staff protest cost-saving job cuts

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UWindsor students fearing the effects of cost-saving faculty and staff cuts gathered in protest on campus Tuesday morning.

“Students are starting to come together and realize this is not okay. This isn’t something we’re going to stand for,” said Sean O’Neil, a fourth-year communication, media, and film student and one of the protest organizers.

Roughly 200 students and some workers who have already received layoff notices marched around school grounds chanting “no more cuts” in response to the school’s efforts to address a $30-million budget shortfall.

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“We all love the university,” said O’Neil. “That’s why we’re here today. We want it to continue.

“We want it to grow stronger — my past four years have been wonderful, and I want that to continue, not just for myself, but for other students in the future.”

As reported by the Star last week, the university announced another wave of job reductions and service changes aimed at addressing a $30-million shortfall in the 2025-26 budget.

In a letter to faculty, University of Windsor president Robert Gordon said changes will impact staff represented by CUPE Local 1393 and Unifor Local 2458, which include full- and part-time officers and clerical employees.

Fifty-six CUPE Local 1393 positions will be eliminated, including eight vacant roles, the university’s website said. Simultaneously, 22 new positions are being created.

The cuts so far have been “very challenging for the entire campus community,” Kristen Siapas, president of CUPE Local 1393, told reporters at Tuesday’s protest. She’s being laid off from her position as communications co-ordinator for UWindsor’s Office of Experiential Learning — her second eliminated position since last year’s axing of the University of Players theatre program, where she previously worked.

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“There is going to be an impact,” Siapas said. “I think students are going to feel it. We’re seeing programs being cut back, just as we have in drama last year. We’re going to see that across campus.

“We don’t really know how that’s going to play out, but it’s undoubtedly going to be affecting the student experience.”

Asked to comment on the protest, a university spokesperson told the Star in a written statement that the school is “committed to upholding freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” and that “all members of our campus community have the right to express their views in accordance with the University’s Freedom of Expression Policy.”

The statement went on to say, “Like many universities across Canada, the University of Windsor is navigating financial challenges and making difficult decisions to ensure long-term sustainability. The entire university community — including students — has been invited to help identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

“Throughout this process, we continue to prioritize academic excellence and the student experience.”

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The university said it will centralize functions currently handled within individual faculties and non-faculty units. It’s also reviewing redundant and vacant positions. Other cost-saving measures, including changes to mail delivery and janitorial services, are also in progress.

The school cut the University Players theatre program last June to help deal with the budget deficit, a move estimated to shave more than $500,000 off the forecasted shortfall.

tcampbell@postmedia.com

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