Hundreds of Toronto families are facing an unexpected childcare crisis after a provincewide college support workers’ strike forced the closure of 14 child-care centres operated by George Brown College. The walkout, which began Thursday, involves more than 10,000 full-time college support workers across Ontario who are seeking higher wages and stronger job security after failing to reach a deal with the College Employer Council (CEC).
Roughly 400 children are now without care as all full-day programs at the college-run centres have been suspended. Before- and after-school programs remain open, but parents like David Bush say the closure has left them scrambling to find alternatives. Bush and his wife have pieced together child care using friends and hired help, but the costs are far higher than their usual daycare fees under the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program.
Union leaders say the strike is about fair compensation and stopping the outsourcing of child care to private providers. Nank Chatterpaul, president of OPSEU Local 557, said the current offer of a two per cent annual wage increase fails to match inflation, noting that the lowest-paid full-time child-care workers earn $27 per hour — far below what’s needed to afford living in Toronto.
Parents like Robin Bennett say the provincial government is partly to blame, arguing that inadequate funding of the post-secondary system has forced colleges into this standoff. OPSEU president JP Hornick accused the Ford government of “sabotaging” higher education, while provincial officials point to nearly $1 billion in new funding this year, the largest increase in over a decade.
With no new negotiations scheduled, parents are being told to “hold tight.” George Brown College has contacted the City of Toronto to identify possible alternate care options if the strike continues. For now, families like Bush’s and Bennett’s are left juggling work, kids, and mounting costs, hoping for a quick resolution.