Thousands of Ontario College Staff Edge Toward Strike as Deadline Nears

Ontario’s public college system is facing a potential shutdown as nearly 10,000 full-time support staff prepare to walk off the job. The strike deadline looms at midnight, with negotiations between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and the College Employer Council (CEC) still underway.

At the heart of the dispute is job security. Support staff say cuts driven by plummeting international student enrolment have destabilized the sector, leading to campus closures and thousands of job losses. Union representatives argue that without stronger protections, the system risks long-term harm.

“College full-time support staff have been bargaining with our employer for months,” said Christine Kelsey, chair of the OPSEU bargaining team. “This round is about stabilizing the system for generations to come. If no protections are in place by midnight, our members are prepared to strike for the future of student support.”

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The College Employer Council, which negotiates on behalf of Ontario’s 24 publicly funded colleges, has rejected the union’s proposals, calling them unsustainable. CEO Graham Lloyd has pointed to a sharp decline in revenues — in some cases as much as 50 per cent — and said commitments to avoid campus closures or staff reductions are “far beyond the scope of collective bargaining.”

With both sides holding firm, the clock is ticking toward a strike that could disrupt operations at every public college in the province.