Strike averted at colleges

Strike called off after Ontario’s colleges and faculty union agree to enter binding interest arbitration

A POTENTIAL STRIKE involving faculty members at Ontario colleges in Ontario has been averted

It would have affected about half-a-million students in the province.

The College Employer Council and the OPSEU academic employees bargaining team representing full-time and part-time faculty, instructors, librarians and counsellors met at the virtual bargaining table until late Thursday night with a Ministry of Labour appointed Mediator.

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The parties issued the following joint statement:

The CEC and OPSEU/SEFPO have reached an agreement to enter binding interest arbitration and the strike that was scheduled to commence at 12:01am on March 18, 2022, is called off. This also includes all work-to-rule strike activities.

“We are pleased to advise that after 12 hours at the bargaining table, the parties have agreed to unconditional interest arbitration on both parties’ outstanding issues. Hearing dates mutually convenient to the parties will be scheduled soon,” said Dr. Laurie Rancourt, Chair of the Management bargaining team. “We remain committed to putting students and their education first.”

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There will be no strike at any of the 24 Ontario Public Colleges. The parties have reached an agreement to enter binding interest arbitration and the strike that was scheduled to commence at 12:01 am on March 18, 2022, is called off. College programs will continue normal operations and program delivery.

“In order to avoid any disruption to students, we were prepared to proceed, immediately and unconditionally, to binding interest arbitration before William Kaplan on all of the outstanding issues,” said Graham Lloyd, CEO of the CEC. “After all that students, faculty and the college community have been through over the past two years, we felt it was essential that we put our differences aside and conclude these negotiations without a strike.”