After more than a month on strike, roughly 10,000 support workers at Ontario’s 24 public colleges have reached a tentative agreement with their employer, the College Employer Council.
Support staff, including librarian technicians, registrar employees, and technology support personnel, went on strike Sept. 11 over concerns about job security and college funding.
All college facilities and student supports are expected to be fully operational on Thursday, October 16, as employees return to work while reviewing the details of the tentative deal and preparing to vote on ratification.
The CEC credited private mediation over the weekend with breaking the bargaining impasse, while OPSEU emphasized the strike was necessary to push back against proposed job losses, program cuts, and privatization pressures affecting public colleges.
The union did not release full details of the deal but highlighted its role in protecting jobs and programs, while the CEC praised support staff for their contribution to student success.
The tentative agreement must be ratified by November 4, but picketing will end immediately, allowing campuses to resume normal operations.
Written by: Matt LeBlanc
