Over 10K Ontario college support staff go on strike after rejecting latest offer

Around 10,000 support staff at colleges across Ontario, including in the Hamilton area, hit the picket lines Thursday after the union and employer failed to reach a new contract.

Classes have only been back in session for a little over a week, but already labour disruptions are significantly cutting back some college support programs.

Colleges say classes will mostly go on uninterrupted, but the strike means delays for support programs, like financial aid, course registration and technical support.

Students will be contacted directly if their lab or class will be impacted.

Dozens of full-time staff who work in financial aid, the registrar, tech support, libraries and more, took to the picket line outside Niagara College Thursday morning.

They’re part of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union members who walked off the job, after the OPSEU and the College Employer Council failed to reach a new deal by the midnight strike deadline.

“We deserve a properly funded public college system, and our support workers deserve respect, job security and decent working conditions,” said JP Hornick, the OPSEU President.

The council says there’s three major asks from the union that they won’t be able to agree to, including the promise of no layoffs for the three-year contract.

“This isn’t about the importance of their work, this is about their union seeking demands that no employer can ever agree to, things like guaranteed jobs no reductions for three years,” said Graham Lloyd, the CEO at College Employer Council. “The colleges are in significant financial distress and we don’t know where that’s heading.”

Last winter, Mohawk College laid off more than 200 full-time and 100 part-time positions in teaching, administrative staff and support roles.

The school pointed to a loss of international student tuition causing a financial shortfall, after the federal government capped the number of foreign students.

“Mohawk as an employer lost 20 per cent of its jobs last year,” said Susan Lau, the President at the OPSEU Local 241, and a member of the Mohawk College support staff.

“We are deeply concerned about losing more support staff. Support staff are the people who are bringing students through their programs and into the college, from before they step foot on campus all the way till they cross the convocation stage.”

The people on the picket lines at Mohawk College are holding up traffic entering and exiting campus for around 60 seconds at a time. They’re positioned at all entrances to the campus.

Students coming and going from Mohawk said they didn’t mind waiting.

“I support them, I think they should be paid what they need and get what they deserve,” one student said to CHCH News.

“I personally don’t mind it that much, but I know in the morning traffic got pretty backed up coming in,” another student told CHCH News.

Most classes won’t be impacted while the strike continues, but colleges say students can expect delays with some support programs, like processing OSAP loans.

“We remain open and classes will continue as scheduled,” said Gord Arbeau, the VP of Advancement at Niagara College. “Our 100 per cent focus is on our students and our students’ well-being.”

READ MORE: Ontario college support staff reject latest offer and hit the picket lines