1) Strike averted as Ontario college faculty union, employers enter binding arbitration

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Canadian Press Staff, January 8, 2025

The bargaining agent for Ontario’s 24 public colleges and the union representing faculty have agreed to enter into binding arbitration, avoiding a strike.

The College Employer Council and the Ontario Public Services Employees Union met this week in Toronto for mediation following months of bargaining.

The union, which represents more than 15,000 faculty members across the province, had said some form of labour action could have begun on Thursday after it gave five days’ notice last week.

It said Tuesday that “significant benefit gains” were agreed upon with the employers but that the sides otherwise remained at an impasse, with the outstanding items to be resolved by the arbitrator.

Key issues include work conditions, job security and quality of education.

The College Employer Council says classes will continue as scheduled this week.

2) (Updated) Ontario college faculty union gives five days’ notice of labour action

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Canadian Press Staff, January 3, 2025

The union representing Ontario’s college faculties says it could begin some form of labour action next Thursday.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union will be in a legal strike position as of Saturday but has to give five days’ notice before embarking on a strike.

OPSEU said it gave the necessary notice Friday.

The union said it will meet with the College Employer Council, the bargaining agent for Ontario’s 24 public colleges, for non-binding mediation on Monday and Tuesday, and remains committed to “bargaining productively.”

But it said that unless an agreement is reached in mediation, it seems unlikely that a deal that would protect its members could come without “the urgency of labour action.”

The union said two weeks ago that no real progress had been achieved in contract negotiations, and that mediation in early December raised concerns about the possible deterioration of work conditions, job security and quality of education.

Graham Lloyd, the council’s CEO, said Friday he’s disappointed the union chose to give notice just days before mediation was set to resume.

“We urge OPSEU to enter mediation … with more realistic demands so that we can get a deal and avoid an unnecessary strike,” he said in a statement.

The CEC said the union’s demands would raise academic costs at a time when institutions are grappling with financial instability.