Picket lines coming down
Tentative deal reached in college support staff strike
A tentative agreement has been reached between the union representing more than 10,000 full-time college support staff and Ontario’s 24 colleges, including Canadore.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says the picket lines will come down Wednesday, nearly five weeks after the strike began.
Details of the tentative settlement will be presented to union members Wednesday afternoon.
“Full-time college support staff took on a tremendous fight, and I’m incredibly proud of our members for getting us to this moment,” says JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO. “Now, we need to keep building on that momentum and show Ontario what is possible when working people stand together.”
Ratification votes will be held by Nov. 4.
The College Employer Council (CEC) says a weekend-long private mediation session with Mediator William Kaplan broke a bargaining impasse, leading to the tentative settlement.
“Support staff play an important role in our colleges, supporting operations and contributing to student success,” says Graham Lloyd, CEO of CEC. “We are grateful to have them back to work.”
Officials say support staff are scheduled to return to work on Thursday.
Richard Coffin has been a reporter and news anchor on the radio in North Bay for over 25 years. From premiers to people in the neighbourhood, he enjoys connecting with newsmakers and writing stories that matter to area listeners on a variety of topics including healthcare, education, politics, sports and more.
