Support staff at Ontario’s publicly funded colleges have officially gone on strike after failing to secure a new contract before the midnight deadline. Represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), about 10,000 full-time support staff are demanding improved wages, benefits, and job security.
The strike follows months of tension as Ontario colleges struggle with financial pressures. OPSEU says nearly 10,000 faculty and staff have already faced layoffs or are at risk due to hundreds of program cancellations and suspensions since last year. The union argues the situation has been worsened by the federal cap on international students, which has cut off a major revenue stream for colleges already strained by years of frozen tuition and underfunding.
The College Employer Council claims that meeting the union’s demands would cost colleges over $900 million, a figure the union disputes. The council says it has offered raises, better benefits, enhanced severance, and more flexible vacation rights.