If you've been a student in Ontario in the last two years, you've had anything but the normal school experience that one would hope for.

The impromptu switch to completely remote learning has been a disaster for many, with only brief stints of a return to classroom for proper in-person instruction and undeniably vital socialization.

For post-secondary learners, it's been especially frustrating, as many feel that they haven't been getting what they're paying big bucks for. And now, a looming strike has served as the cherry on top of a crummy few semesters.

Approximately 16,000 faculty across the two dozen public colleges in Ontario are set to strike later this week, with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) saying in an open letter on Monday that members will strike starting this Friday if their demands are not taken seriously.

i love how my college might go on strike next week and cancel all classes wasting all of my tuition money that they already didn’t deserve for being fully online

— maddie 🍓 (@starshame) March 15, 2022

The union is asking that ongoing labour disputes be taken to binding interest arbitration, in which an impartial arbitrator looks at the wants of both parties and makes the ultimate decision — hopefully some type of fair compromise between the two — with both sides having to stick to their proposed resolution.

The deadline that OPSEU has given the College Employer Council (CEC) to respond is 12:01 a.m. on March 18, at which time employees will walk off the job if the CEC has not accepted.

Staff rejected the CEC's last offer in February, with their union saying in a letter yesterday that their employers have "told us from the outset of bargaining that [they] are unwilling to negotiate unless we drop our proposals that [they] find unacceptable."

i really hope colleges don’t strike bc i don’t want the semester to be pushed back, i don’t want to retake the semester and i don’t want them to just give everyone 100% on finals and not the learn the rest of the content i fucking paid for

— sarah #bIm☂️👽🏳️‍🌈💖💜💙 (@leftistsarah) March 15, 2022

"Binding interest arbitration has been the usual way for labour disruptions to be settled in the past when we have not been able to negotiate an agreement. It is the common way for labour disputes in the post-secondary sector to get resolved — common enough that it’s written into several collective agreements," the union's letter continues.

"All you have to do is AGREE... we will not strike if you agree to binding interest arbitration."

Im literally in my last semester and Ontario College have decided to go on strike next week??!!! 🤦🏻‍♀️

— Corpezzz (@ErikaCorps) March 15, 2022

At this point, some seem sure that the union will indeed end up striking, while others are more hopeful that it may not happen.

But the threat of such an incident mid-second semester of the academic year is stressing the heck out of a lot of students, especially after what they've already had to deal with in terms of their education during the pandemic.

Instructors started work-to-rule action three months ago as part of the dispute, meaning that they have been deliberately doing the bare minumum required of them instead of going above in beyond — which has, of course, impacted students and their education.

So apparently the college teachers in Ontario might go on strike by Friday and that means no more classes... No more classes means I might not finish the semester... Not finishing the semester means I don't get the credits

— Bren (@Brendanhs1856) March 15, 2022

Many are understandably pissed at the prospect of now also having to defer their schooling to a later date or completely lose the work they've done so far.

Those who have co-op and internship components in their programs are freaking out even more at the prospect of completely losing their placements.

Can't speak for all colleges and all programs, but my program (healthcare) has an unpaid placement and if the strike goes through, students will be pulled out of it, we can't go :/

— Mech (@5PEEP) March 15, 2022

And many feel completely in the dark about what a strike would mean for them.

"My college might be going on strike and it’s possibly the worst time to be doing it," one student tweeted in the middle of the night last night.

"If colleges strike I’m gonna lose my fkn mind I swear," another added around 1:45 a.m., also apparently kept awake by the drama.

How will a strike affect unpaid placements? What happens to the term? Shouldn't you be putting students first and hold off on striking until the end of the term? Think of OUR mental health, as students. We've been through hell these past few years.

— Keith the Intern (@keithwattsradio) March 14, 2022

Toronto institutions impacted include Centennial, George Brown, Humber, and Seneca Colleges, as well as nearby Durham, Conestoga, Fanshawe, Fleming, Georgian, Mohawk and Sheridan.

Students and staff at these schools will unfortunately just have to wait until Friday to see what happens.