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Mediation

Niagara College Support Staff on Brink of Strike Amid Contract Dispute

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has moved closer to a provincewide work stoppage that would disrupt the start of the academic year at Niagara College, with a "no board" report from the Labour Ministry initiating a 16-day countdown. The union's 10,000 members, who provide a range of college services, have voted 73.3 per cent in favour of striking if negotiations break down. The current contract expires on Sunday, with both OPSEU and the College Employer Council (CEC) remaining at the bargaining table with a commitment to reach an agreement.

Key Takeaways:

  • The OPSEU, representing 10,000 support staff, has voted 73.3 per cent in favour of striking if negotiations break down.
  • The union's primary concerns are job security and ensuring no concessions, including a moratorium on campus closures and preventing layoffs.
  • OPSEU has proposed a bumping process and ways to move members to other jobs on campus, if necessary.
  • CEC chief executive officer Graham Lloyd stated that OPSEU has 49 demands, which would result in over $900 million in additional costs, and that the union's demands are a major roadblock to a fair collective agreement.
  • The union wants one-year's notice when introducing new technology that could impact jobs, but CEC cannot agree to provisions that would deny students state-of-the-art new technology.
  • Niagara College has proposed binding mediation to the union and remains committed to reaching a fair collective agreement.

Statistics:

  • The union's current contract expires on Sunday.
  • OPSEU has received a "no board" report from the Labour Ministry, initiating a 16-day countdown.
  • The union's 10,000 members provide a range of college services, including clerical and technical administration, learning supports, academic accommodations, and building maintenance.
  • The OPSEU has 49 demands, including a moratorium on campus closures and preventing layoffs.
  • The proposed collective agreement would result in over $900 million in additional costs.

Sources:

  • "The clock is ticking on a potential strike at Niagara College as the union representing thousands of full-time college support staff across Ontario moves closer to a provincewide work stoppage that would disrupt the start of the academic year." (Victoria Nicolaou, St Catharines Standard)
  • "Our view is the students have to come first, and a strike, or a threat of strike, is completely unnecessary." (Graham Lloyd, CEC chief executive officer)
  • "We want to have a negotiated collective agreement, that's what we're here to do." (Bob Holder, OPSEU president)
  • "The pressure from this, that's put on the employer, we're hoping that this will get them to seriously look and think about the negotiations so that we can come to an agreement, and there'll be no disruptions." (Bob Holder, OPSEU president)
  • "Niagara College support staff workers walk a picket line in 2011." (St Catharines Standard)

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