Conestoga College braces for possible job action Thursday

As non-binding mediation continues Tuesday between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and the College Employer Council, Conestoga College is preparing its students for possible job action.

The union representing 20,000 full-time and partial-load professors, instructors, librarians, and counsellors has said unless an agreement is reached in mediation, it seems unlikely that a deal to protect its members could come without labour action.

On Jan. 3, OPSEU issued a five-day strike notice, just before the start of the winter semester.

Any job action could begin as early as this Thursday — just days into the winter semester at the province’s 24 publicly funded colleges.

This includes Conestoga College which released a statement on its website this week saying, “All classes and services continue as normal at this time. In the event of a strike, further information regarding changes to college operations will be provided to students and employees and posted on the college website.”

The post provides links to both the College Employer Council website and a student FAQ provided by the Council. The Council says it’s still unclear what type of labour action could be taken, if at all, this week.

“At this time, we do not know what type of labour action academic employees will engage in. It could be work-to-rule, rotating strikes, or full walk-out strike,” reads the statement. “We remain hopeful that an agreement will be reached with the CAAT-A bargaining team to provide stability for students, employees, and the greater College community.”

That same post from the College Employer Council notes the winter semester could potentially be disrupted, adding, “Historically, no semester has been lost to a strike. Students have always been provided opportunities to complete classes and graduate.”

Students are advised to keep visiting their college’s website for further updates.