An agreement has been reached between Ontario college support workers and their employer after more than a month on strike, the union representing the workers says.
The Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents 10,000 full-time college support staff at Ontario’s 24 public colleges, reached a tentative agreement with the College Employer Council (CEC) nearly five weeks after workers walked off the job on Sept. 11.
Striking workers included librarian technicians, registrar employees, and technology support staff.
The union was in contract talks with the CEC, the provincially mandated bargaining agent for publicly funded colleges, for several months. Some of the main concerns raised by the union were job security and college funding.
Workers are expected to return to their jobs on Oct. 16, the union says, noting that it will review the agreement before members ratify it on Nov. 4.
The union says that a bargain impasse was broken during a private session with mediator William Kaplan.
The CEO of the College Employer Council said support staff play an important role in the colleges and schools will be “grateful” to have them back at work.
“The gains made in this agreement would not have been possible without members holding strong these last weeks,” union bargaining team chair Christine Kelsey said in a press release. “We had no choice but to fight back amidst a plan to privatize public education, as well as 10,000 job losses and over 650 program cuts across the system.”
The union said college audits commissioned by Premier Doug Ford’s government show plans for more cutbacks, automation, outsourcing, and mergers.
The Epoch Times attempted to reach the premier’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Some colleges decided to cancel in-person classes and activities due to strike action, including at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Mohawk College in Hamilton, and St. Clair College in Windsor.
