Photo by Naomi Ljunggren
Striking support staff are back at the table trying to negotiate with colleges. The union, OPSEU/SEFPO, represents 10,000 college employees. The strike is just shy of lasting a month.
Staff went on strike after third-party audits, paid by the Ford government, prompted colleges to propose cutbacks.
“When staff are unsupported – with fewer of us remaining after each round of cutbacks – students inevitably suffer,” reads an open letter to college presidents. The open letter also states:
“College presidents have a mandate to protect the student experience, so what are they doing to help end this strike?”
OPSEU has proposed a settlement to the College Employer Council (CEC). Both parties met at the table in late September with a provincial negotiator. The talks fell through when the union claimed CEC walked away.
“Students can’t access critical services we provide, including accessibility supports, and convocations are being cancelled. The semester is slipping away,” says the chair of the bargaining team, Christine Kelsey.
“We need to get back to our work supporting students. For their sake, we hope the CEC can walk this path with us towards a resolution,” says Kelsey.
