Ontario’s 24 public colleges face a potential strike by full-time support staff after their union rejected arbitration and set a strike date of Sept. 11, according to the College Employer Council.
The union representing support staff, OPSEU, has turned down what the employer group calls a $145-million package of wage and benefit improvements over 21 days of bargaining, said Graham Lloyd, CEO of the College Employer Council.
“OPSEU is looking for a strike, when it should be looking for a deal on behalf of full-time support staff,” Lloyd said. “A strike does not benefit anyone in the college community – not students and not their members.”
Financial pressures mount
The colleges say they face enrollment drops of up to 45 percent, putting the system in what Lloyd described as “survival mode.” Despite this, the union continues to push demands the employer group considers unrealistic.
The College Employer Council’s offer includes 2-percent annual wage increases, enhanced job security protections, and improved benefits coverage. The package would increase on-call premiums by 75 percent to $1.75 per hour and boost shift premiums by 67 to 75 percent.
Other proposed improvements include extended recall rights for newer employees, better severance for those affected by financial pressures, and guaranteed rights to disconnect from work.
Union demands higher costs
OPSEU’s counter-proposals would cost more than $400 million, according to the employer group. The union seeks 4-percent annual wage increases and up to 17 additional paid days off beyond current entitlements.
The union also wants a complete ban on campus mergers, closures, and staff reductions during the contract period. Additional demands include expanded gender affirmation coverage and restrictions on how colleges introduce artificial intelligence technology in training.
“Unreasonable demands like these are not intended to be accepted, they are intended to cause a strike action,” Lloyd said. “Colleges are in survival mode given enrollment decreases of as much as 45 percent and OPSEU is negotiating as though money simply doesn’t matter.”
Final bargaining attempts
The parties have scheduled additional bargaining sessions for Sept. 9 and 10, just days before the potential strike deadline. The College Employer Council has made multiple requests for interest arbitration to avoid a work stoppage, but the union has rejected these calls.
A strike would affect students returning to classes at the start of the fall semester across Ontario’s college system. The College Employer Council serves as the government-mandated bargaining agent for all 24 publicly funded colleges in the province.
