More than 10,000 full-time college support staff in Ontario remain on strike after negotiations broke down Monday over job security provisions, according to the union representing the workers.
Talks between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and the College Employer Council ended without an agreement. The union said the employer refused to make progress on job security protections for striking workers.
“We are walking the line to protect our work – after thousands upon thousands of layoffs across the system, there’s nothing else this fight can be about,” said Christine Kelsey, chair of the full-time support staff bargaining team. “None of the employer’s proposals save a single job. True job security looks like protections against the elimination of jobs, not extended notice or streamlining new pathways for layoffs.”
Campus closures announced during talks
Georgian College announced the closure of its Orillia and Muskoka campuses on the morning mediation began, according to Kelsey. The college estimates the sale of the two campuses will save $23.5 million over five years, the union said.
The union removed earlier demands for a temporary moratorium on layoffs, campus closures and mergers during negotiations, according to Kelsey. However, the employer still refused to include job security language in a contract, she said.
Skills Development Fund under review
The union said tens of millions in public funds from the Skills Development Fund have been awarded to for-profit businesses with connections to the provincial government. The fund is under investigation by the Auditor General, with a report expected Wednesday, according to the union.
“The money is there to keep college campuses open in our communities,” said JP Hornick, president of OPSEU. “What’s missing is the political will to prioritize students over this government’s donors.”
Picket lines remain in place at college campuses across the province.
