The union that represents the 10,000 full-time support workers
on picket lines
at 24 colleges across Ontario has asked the province’s negotiating agent to return the bargaining table.
In a statement, the
Ontario Public Sector Employees Union (OPSEU)
said that a “comprehensive package with a pathway to settlement” was sent to the employer on Thursday, along with an invitation to return to the table.
“We have been
out on the line
for just shy of a month. The situation is reaching a boiling point,” said Christine Kelsey, chair of the bargaining team, in a statement.
“Students can’t access critical services we provide, including accessibility supports, and convocations are being cancelled. The semester is slipping away. We need to get back to our work supporting students.”
A spokesperson for the College Employer Council (CEC) said the provincial negotiator received the “proposal of demands” late Thursday afternoon and is reviewing it and expects to respond.
The support workers, including those at Algonquin College and La Cité,
have been on strike since Sept. 11
.
Talks between OPSEU and the
College Employer Council (
CEC) with a provincially-appointed mediator
broke down on Sept. 29
after “after the employer refused progress on job security provisions for striking workers,” according to OPSEU.
The CEC has made it clear that it is looking for a resolution with the help of a government mediator.
Meanwhile, the CEC has urged part-time college support staff, including student employees, to consider carefully how they vote in a strike vote from Oct. 14-17. Colleges across the province have made deep cuts as they wrestle with
a steep decline in international students and a provincial tuition freeze
.
“It is important to have a clear understanding of what’s on the table and what’s at stake,” said the CEC in a statement released Thursday
“Don’t let others decide for you. If you don’t want a strike, you must vote NO. Strike votes lead to strikes,” said the CEC.
“For more than 18 months, in an effort to reach a renewal collective agreement, the CEC agreed to breakthrough provisions for part-time staff, which include issues such as paid sick leave days, increased vacation pay, and pay for cancelled shifts.”
Kelsey, who is also president of OPSEU’s Algonquin support staff, said the union has reached out to restart talks and written to college presidents “who need to step up and show real leadership in this moment.”
“The five best-paid college presidents in Ontario made an average of $492,000 last year,” she said. “Students pay those salaries — and want their semester back,” said Kelsey. “College presidents have a mandate to protect the student experience, so what are they doing to help end this strike?”
OPSEU, represents a variety of staff in the province’s 24 colleges, including library technicians, financial aid employees, administrative support, building maintenance and shipping workers.
