Ontario full-time college support staff reach tentative agreement after nearly five weeks of strike action

Toronto – After nearly five weeks on strike, full-time college support staff, represented by OPSEU/SEFPO, have reached a tentative agreement with the College Employer Council (CEC) for more than 10,000 workers across all 24 Ontario colleges.

The agreement is subject to ratification; however, while that process takes place, picketing has ended.

“After months of intensive negotiations with an incredibly difficult employer, the gains made in this agreement would not have been possible without members holding strong these last weeks,” said Christine Kelsey, chair of the union’s bargaining team. “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.”

Picket lines will come down today, and the details of the tentative settlement will be presented to members this afternoon. Support staff are scheduled to return to work on Thursday, October 16.

St. Lawrence College (SLC) posted on its website today that it is working to restore regular service hours and operations; however, for the next few days, some services and offices will continue to operate with modified hours or delayed response times. Please check below for the service you need, ensuring you take advantage of self-serve options where they are available.

“Full-time college support staff took on a tremendous fight, and I’m incredibly proud of our members for getting us to this moment,” said JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO. “Now, we need to keep building on that momentum and show Ontario what is possible when working people stand together.”

“We’ve won more than a contract,” added Kelsey. “After being out in our communities, day after day, the public now understands that our college system is being deliberately defunded as part of the collateral of Ford’s devastating privatization agenda.”