Sign in Subscribe
Mediation

Ontario College Support Staff Go on Strike Amid Contract Negotiations

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Support staff at Ontario's 24 public colleges are now on strike after negotiations between the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union (OPSEU) and the College Employer Council (CEC) broke down. The union is fighting for improved job security, better wages, and benefits, as well as protections against campus closures and layoffs. The strike is expected to have a significant impact on the college system, with over 60,000 staff and faculty members affected.

Key Takeaways:

  • The strike is the result of failed contract negotiations between OPSEU and the CEC, with the union demanding improved job security, wages, and benefits, as well as protections against campus closures and layoffs.
  • The CEC has proposed a $145 million boost to wages and benefits, including a 2% wage increase in each year of the contract, but the union has rejected this offer due to concerns about job security guarantees.
  • The strike is expected to affect around 10,000 full-time and part-time support staff, as well as faculty who choose not to cross the picket lines.
  • The college sector has been hit hard by federal cuts to international students, tuition freezes, and provincial funding that has not kept up with increasing costs.
  • The full-time college support staffers represented by OPSEU hold a variety of jobs, including disability services, library technologists, trades, co-op placement coordinators, food services, and IT.

Statistics:

  • Over 10,000 jobs have been lost in the college sector over the past year alone, out of a total of around 60,000 staff and faculty.
  • The college sector has been hit hard by federal cuts to international students, who pay several times more in tuition than domestic students.
  • The CEC has proposed a 2% wage increase in each year of the contract, totaling $145 million in increased payments to wages and benefits.

Sources:

  • "Support staff go on strike at Ontario colleges as contract talks break down." The Toronto Star.
  • "College sector sees over 10,000 job losses over past year." The Toronto Star.

Read more