Ontario College Support Workers Rally for Fair Wages and Job Security
Support workers at Ontario’s colleges are staging rallies across the province, marking the fourth week of an ongoing strike. At Humber College’s North Campus, a crowd of 400 gathered for a demonstration, prompting Toronto police to warn of possible traffic delays in the area. Notably, Humber College Boulevard is temporarily closed between Highway 27 and Humberline Drive.
Negotiations between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents 10,000 full-time support staff at public colleges in Ontario, and the College Employer Council (CEC) hit a deadlock earlier this week.
In a statement released on Thursday, the union expressed frustration with the lack of progress: “Despite three days of mediation, talks broke down again on Monday due to an impasse declared by the employer and College Presidents, who refused to include any job security provisions essential for reaching a settlement and ending the strike.”
The strike, now entering its fourth week, coincides with a wave of layoffs in the province. Over 10,000 college workers have already been laid off, leading to the suspension or cancellation of hundreds of programs and the announcement of new campus closures as recently as last Friday.
In addition to the rally at Humber College, a similar event is taking place at Georgian College’s Orillia Campus. Georgian College recently announced plans to consolidate its Orillia and Muskoka campuses into the Barrie location by next fall.
The strike, initiated by OPSEU on September 11, seeks to address concerns over fair wages, job security, and improved conditions for full-time support staff at Ontario’s colleges.
Keyphrase: Ontario college strike rally