table before going on strike over the amount of time they spend in the classsroom.

That message came yesterday from College president George Cook, who said: "The Board of Governors is very keen to continue negotiations that will result in better service to our students and the community.'' Lecturers at the College said on Friday that they would strike by May 5 if a third party was not brought in to resolve the matter of high number of hours they spend in the classroom.

The date marks the start of final examinations at the Paget campus.

Lecturers claim the number of hours they spend teaching -- known as contact hours -- are 50 percent higher than their North American counterparts.

However, negotiations between the College management and the Bermuda Public Service Association (BPSA) failed to solve the problem and mediation was suggested.

It was allegedly refused by the college board after being accepted by its management.

Dr. Cook said this was an error by BPSA general secretary Eugene Blakeney, who made the strike announcement on behalf of the lecturers.

Dr. Cook said minutes of the meetings between the parties showed different facts.

"The management team meeting with the BPSA in the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) process did not adopt a position different from the Board of Governors,'' he said.

Dr. Cook said the management team's position -- which was endorsed by the board -- was that "issues should go back to the former negotiation process''.

There was no precedent for matters being discussed in the JCC to go to mediation, he added, but stated: "The option of mediation remains open as a part of the negotiating process.'' On the subject of contact hours, Dr. Cook said the average number for a Bermuda College lecturer was just over 16 per week out of a 37 1/4 hour work week. He added the ratio of students to faculty was eight to one.

But last week, lecturer Craig Simmons told The Royal Gazette that local lecturers were logging 20 to 24 contact hours a week.

And he said he was logging 50 to 60 hours total each week.

Dr. Cook noted that "the College is attempting to be more customer driven'' and required flexibility to meet student needs.

He said the College proposed a more flexible instructional day with measures built in to prevent longer duty days for faculty.

However this was rejected on the grounds that the existing agreement provided sufficient flexibility.

And Dr. Cook said: "The faculty now wish to change that agreement, thereby reducing whatever flexibility currently exists.'' UNIONS UNS