To the Editor,
I am writing to express my deep disappointment and concern over the labour action at Vancouver Island University.
This issue is quickly leading to devastating consequences for the nearly 9,000 students who are being penalized for this action and it requires immediate intervention.
Students scheduled to graduate in June are now facing irreparable harm to their future careers.
International students face expiring visas or airline tickets, loss of application and interview opportunities in their home countries, cultural and social impacts if they return home without a degree, and the potential that they may not ever be able to return to Canada to complete their studies.
Other students have applied for jobs that will give them important leverage in establishing a successful career and may be conditional on receiving their degree. Some have applied to master’s programs and do not have the luxury of time to complete their undergraduate degrees.
Employment postings are coming and going, and because students do not have an expected completion date or the ability to obtain crucial references from their instructors these positions are passing us by. Gambling with students’ futures is not acceptable and students should not be made the casualties of this labour action.
It is clear the labour action at VIU is causing more damage than the faculty association or the university stands to gain from the dispute.
If we were to forget about the positions for a second and think about the common ground that lies between both parties, it is inevitable that a mutually beneficial solution can be found.
Ending the labour action now should be a priority for every single person concerned for the futures of thousands of dedicated students. Please take a stand to end this dispute now and allow us to complete our education.
Tiffany Moore
Fourth-year VIU student