Faculty at Ontario’s community colleges could be in legal strike position in January

Unionized faculty at Ontario’s 24 public colleges could be off the job in the new year.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has requested a “no board” report from the Ministry of Labour after mediation earlier this month with the College Employer Council (CEC) failed to produce an agreement.

Once the Ministry issues the no board report, it will be at least 16 days before either party can go on strike or give notice of a lockout.

Back in October, unionized workers voted 79 per cent in favour of strike action.

The union, which represents approximately 14,000 full-time and partial-load professors, instructors, counsellors, and librarians, has said wages, workload, and job security are among its key issues.

Union officials say the CEC’s proposed contract language will erode working conditions, job security, and quality of education.

“Our college system is crumbling – we can’t sit back and let its failed stewards bulldoze education,” said Michelle Arbour, acting chair of the faculty bargaining team in a release. “Our basic demands are an antidote, aimed at protecting the core mandate of the Colleges as places of education, not cash-grabs.”

Union officials say two days of mediated talks from Dec. 6-8 with the CEC were “unsuccessful.”

CEC officials expressed disappointment and shock at the union’s decision to seek a no board report, calling it “wholly unnecessary.”

“This move from the academic bargaining team is deeply disappointing, especially at a time when students are busy studying for exams,” said Dr. Laurie Rancourt, chair of the management bargaining team in a statement.

It claims the union’s demands would represent a vast reduction in classroom teaching time and more than $1 billion in new annual costs to Colleges, which they say are projecting losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming years due to declining enrollment and higher costs.

“Students and faculty should not have to endure unneeded stress at this time of year, particularly considering the Union is making demands it knows the Colleges can never agree to, such as reducing their class time by 25%, to less than 9 hours per week”.

The two sides are scheduled to meet for non-binding mediation between Jan. 6-7, 2025, pending the no board report.