Strike & Bargaining Updates

What were the results of the strike vote?

Central Vote

• Ballots cast: 8099 (80% of CAATS-FT)

• Voted Yes: 6264 | 77%

• Voted No: 1835 | 23%

Conestoga College L238

• Ballots cast: 604 | 79.4%

• Voted Yes: 416 | 68.9%

• Voted No:  188 | 31.1%

What Can Strike Action look like?

There are several forms of labour action available to workers. 

• Strike: the act of unionized workers withdrawing their labour to pressure an employer to meet work demands. A strike is a last resort, after negotiations have broken down, and the most powerful tool at workers’ disposal to affect change. 

• Work-to-rule: when workers do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract, following the “letter of the law,” in an effort to slow productivity. This approach may include taking full breaks, ending shifts at the end of the day, and/or refusing voluntary duties. 

• Sit-down strike: where workers remain inside their place of employment, occupying the workplace – refusing work and refusing to allow others to work until demands are met. 

• Rotating strike: when some, but not all, of a union’s bargaining unit members go on strike; a series of surprise work stoppages at certain strategic locations (i.e. at one college on Monday, another college on Tuesday)

When did the 2025 strike start?

• • A strike was called on  Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 12:00 AM.

Can I attend a strike line at another location?

• • Yes, if you require an accommodation or change please fill out the change/accommodation form.

  • There is also an opportunity to strike at other colleges, if you choose,  but there will be a process to perform strike duties put out by OPSEU for such requests. Please contact the local if this is something you are interested in.

What happens if I cross the picket line? 

• Crossing the picket line has serious consequences. It can potentially affect you; socially, financially, and could impact your standing with OPSEU.  OPSEU Constitution article 30 outlines strikebreaking and the consequences; 

  • You will be publicly named  [30.1.1]

  • If 2/3 vote in favour you will be determined to be a strikebreaker. [30.1.2]

  • You will be assessed for damages "The assessment for damages to the Union for strikebreaking shall be an amount equal to 100 per cent of the strikebreaker’s wages earned during the strike, to a maximum of $10,000 in consideration of the harm to the Union caused by the strikebreaker’s action. " [30.2.1]

  • The strikebreaker will be suspended from membership, removed from any Union office currently held, and the Member’s name will be recorded on a central public registry until 30.2.1 is met. [30.2.2]

• Beyond the above article, the social ramifications are quite severe and long lasting. Strikebreakers are considered scabs. Crossing the picket line may benefit you in the short term, but it harms your coworkers, the work they are doing on the line, and it is detrimental to the chances of reaching a good agreement with the CEC. There is the very real potential of creating long lasting distrust and long-term harm to the relationships with your coworkers. 

What happens if I'm on Leave During a Strike (Ex: Vacation, STD, LTD, etc)?

This varies per type of leave:

• Vacation: Vacation does not get paid out when we are on strike. It will be readded to your bank. You will only be paid strike pay if you participate in strike duties. 

• Short Term Disability (sick leave): Short Term Disability (sick leave) is not paid when you are on strike. Reach out to your local to find out how to get strike pay even if you are not well enough to picket.

• Parental Leave: When you are on Parental Leave you do not receive the 97% top up. Reach out to your union local to find out how to get strike pay when you are on Parental Leave

• Long Term Disability: If you are on Long Term Disability, your disability payments continue if a strike happens. Your benefits during a strike will be the same as we can negotiate for everyone. You can vote in the Strike Mandate Vote.

• Statutory Holidays: You do not get paid for Statutory Holidays when you are on strike.

What is the Longest Strike Action We've Had?

• Our unit has been on strike twice before: in 1979, for 13 days, and in 2011 for 19 days.

What Other Supports are Available In the Event of a Strike?

• OPSEU/SEFPO will have financial relief letters, specific to your home bank, available for members upon request. Members experiencing extreme financial hardship should reach out to their Local’s Hardship Relief subcommittee for emergency relief.

What is a Lockout? Can the Employer Lock us Out?

• A lockout is when the Colleges stop allowing Support Staff to come to work, and refuse to pay us. The Colleges would be in a position to lock us out 16 days after a Conciliator issues a “No Board” report. They need to give us 5 days notice before they can do that.

How Much is Strike Pay? 

• • • Strike pay is $450/week for first 3 weeks then $550/week in the 4th week and beyond (dependents paid at $125/week each).

What about benefits during a strike?

• Benefits continue as they are during a strike! No need to worry about coverage during this time. 

Can I use my RRSP to buy back my pension? 

Yes! You can typically use your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) to buy back past pension service by making a direct transfer to your pension plan administrator. 

To do this you MUST contact your financial institution that holds your RRSP. They will give you the necessary forms to fill out and make the direct transfer to CAAT.  

How do I get strike pay?

• • • To get strike pay, you would need at attend a strike line for 20 hours per week or properly secure other strike duties with the Accommodations Committee, these will be set up if we go on strike and you would need to complete strike duties to get strike pay.  

    • To get paid you must be a registered member with OPSEU. To do that you will need your Union number and get registered here:  Sign your membership card! Remember to use your personal email address and include your direct deposit information. See example below:

You can see the most up-to-date updates on College Support Full-Time (CAAT-S FT) Bargaining Hub

These are updated in real time as the bargaining team and CEC comes to the table. 

Bargaining updates are posted on the CAATS-FT Bargaining Hub. There you can see the latest bulletins, subscribe for email updates, and view the FAQ's.

Be sure to subscribe for the most up-to-date information!

Strike Vote Results: 

Central Vote

• Ballots cast: 8099 (80% of CAATS-FT)

• Voted Yes: 6264 | 77%

• Voted No: 1835 | 23%

Conestoga College L238

• Ballots cast: 604 | 79.4%

• Voted Yes: 416 | 68.9%

• Voted No:  188 | 31.1%

FAQ:

This is a list of questions and answers asked at the August 5 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM FT Bargaining Q&A sessions. The details of the speakers have been omitted for privacy.

What is a Concession?

We have spent 57 years building our collective agreement and adding to it. A concession is something we have previously bargained for (and won) that the employer wants to take away. This could be anything listed in the collective agreement, but in the context of this bargaining cycle it includes the specific items the CEC have listed in their proposal.

When Does the Strike vote open and close?

The strike vote opens August 13 at 12:00 PM and closes August 15 at 3:00 PM.

Who is eligible to vote in the strike mandate?

More people are eligible to vote than you think in this mandate! 

All full-time including appendix D and Appendix G, Appendix K, and anyone in a temporary management position are eligible. This includes other members who have been employees for less than 12-months.   

If you think you are eligible to vote and you are not on the vote list (ie. You did not get the email link to vote in your College email - when it is sent out), there will be a place you can connect with closer to the date to get a ballot.

Can you explain the communication from the CEC about the vacation concession?

Initially, the CEC demanded that as of July1st 2026 anyone who had more than 15 days banked would immediately lose those vacation days without a payout.

Since this came up, the CEC has shifted their position on this. At the bargaining table, the team let the CEC know that in our collective it states that the employer is responsible for vacation booking- if they are scheduling vacation in a way that is resulting in overages it is the employers fault.

The CEC is now proposing a year or two of grace period before this would take effect.

As per the messaging about the bargaining team demanding more vacation days, this is misleading. The demand was to keep the current number of vacation days but allow the step increase quicker. For example, currently an employee must work 7 years before they get an extra vacation day. The proposal is to shorten the increments between steps, ie. 1-4 (instead of 1-6 years of service) you get 15 vacation days getting the increase in year 5 instead of 7.

What can I do if I am confused about the Conestoga College vacation banking system?

If you would like some advice on vacation allotment and understanding about accruing, please reach out to your HR advisor! They will take the time to sit with you and go over your banks and the accrual system.

If we were to go on strike, when would that take effect?

This is difficult to determine, it is dependent on some factors.

Ideally, we would want to be prepared for the middle of September. The goal is to target the major impact date. The impact we are looking at now with lower enrollment is on day 10 of the semester. Day 10 is the last day students can withdrawal without penalty and receive a full refund. It would have a severe financial impact on the employer if we were to strike at that time.

There are steps before a strike, which is what makes the date difficult to determine. First there must be a strike vote, then conciliation- we do have a conciliator lined up at this time. After the conciliator, we can request the conciliators report. Once we receive that we have 16 days before we can call a strike. Then 5 days’ notice before a strike. At minimum it would be the middle of September. But it is dependent on conciliation process.

If we went on a leave while on strike, what happens? Do we lose benefits?

If you are on leave during a strike, the college would stop paying you. Parental and maternity leave are protected so you would still receive ei/service Canada payouts but the top up from the college would not happen.

During that time, you could perform strike duties and this would allow you to get strike pay.

What is the strike pay?

$450/week for the first 3 weeks and then $550/week after that. The pay for dependents is $125.

To be qualified for strike pay you need to perform 20 hours of strike duty (for examples this could look like 4 hours/day of picket duty).

In order to receive regular strike pay you must: be a signed member, be registered in the OPSEU member portal, and set up direct deposit in the portal.

What is the local strike fund?                                        

In addition to the strike pay our local can help support financially.

We have a mandate in our local bylaws to save $2 per pay cheque for our strike fund. We do have a healthy strike fund for our local. The local would discuss together how we would disperse these funds. It would be payment in addition to the OPSEU strike pay.

Who Qualifies as a dependent?

We are waiting for the strike manual that is being updated. Once it is updated it will go out to the locals. The details about dependents will be going out with the manual. Ages and who qualifies as a dependent varies.

What does 20 hours of picketing look like?

This will depend on the local strike committee. If you perform the 20 hours of strike service you are eligible for strike pay. How the service is done and the scheduling of the service, will be determined by the local.

There will be picket captains typically who will keep track of sign in and sign out at each picket location.

You can picket at another college if that is closer to you- it doesn’t have to be your own. This also applies to other campuses. In the event of each, you will need to communicate this with your strike committee to ensure you are scheduled appropriately to be paid.

Details will come out with more information.

If I am on recall or leaving the college, how can I still support the college?

If you are leaving the college (have resigned) you can still support by talking to your colleagues, spreading the word, and participating in bargaining campaigns. If a strike occurs and you are no longer employed to the college you will not receive strike pay, but are welcome to walk the picket lines in solidarity!

If you are on recall you are still a voting member and can absolutely participate in the picket lines.

I am not sure if I am a registered member, what do I do?

Vikki Poirier (President Local 238) will be reaching out to members who are on the voters list but are not registered.

If you are unsure if you are registered, you can apply for membership (even if you have already registered) through the OPSEU website or reach out to the local gmail.

Once you fill out the registration, you will need to register in the OPSEU member portal and add your direct deposit information.

If we strike, can we picket closer to our home?

You can absolutely picket at a different campus or a different college if they are closer.  

If you live closer to another college or campus, you will need to work this out with your local in advance to ensure you are scheduled appropriately to get paid.

More Questions?

If you have questions about this process and what is involved, please feel free to reach out to the local or the bargaining team: caatsftbargaining@opseu.org or the local gmail: caat.local238@gmail.com

Save Our Colleges!

You're more than a number.

Going to college in Ontario shouldn’t make you feel like just a number. And working at one shouldn’t end as just another tally in a growing list of layoffs.

Our colleges were built to equip students to enter the workforce and, in turn, build Ontario’s future.

Today, they’re cash-grabs – because the Ford government set them up like a house of cards and walked away from its responsibility to fund them.

And as of today, nearly all of Ontario’s 24 public colleges have announced some combination of devastating program closures, campus closures, and layoffs. 

It would take $1.4 billion of immediate bridge funding to stop the cuts and save programs and jobs, and  another $1.34 billion to bring per-student funding up to the national average.

That’s significantly less than $55 billion to dig a tunnel under the 401.

• Tuition fee revenue has tripled across the colleges since 2010, while provincial funding decreased by 28%. 

• Ontario ranks dead-last among the provinces for per-student funding: $8,411 short of the national average.

• Since Ford’s election in 2018, international enrolment has tripled, while domestic enrollment is down by 20%.

• The college system accumulated a record surplus of $1 billion in 2023-24 alone. If invested like annual surpluses in years prior, that’s going to capital assets (i.e. more buildings.)

• Tuition should go back into the classroom and support services, not towards new vanity projects or administrative bloat. 

You can learn more about the campaign and join here

Stay up-to-date:

You can keep informed during the bargaining cycle by:

• CAATs FT Bargaining Hub Website

• Following OPSEU-SEFPO FT College Support on Instagram

• Following OPSEU-SEFPO FT College Support on Facebook

• Joining the team

• Support the weekly phone bank

• Staying up to date on the OPSEU website

• Checking out  OPSEU-SEFPO FT College Support's Linktree

The Highlights:

Non-Monetary items:

• More transparent hiring and classification processes 

• Standardized job descriptions 

• Career development and access to full-time opportunities 

• Shorter probationary period 

• Improved worker protections

• Stronger sexual harassment language  

Full proposal with suggested language: 

The Union's proposal contains 19 items that can be utilized during bargaining. Some of the items are new, though most are revisions or changes to previous items.

You can read the full non-monetary outline here. 

Monetary Items: 

• Wages: 6% year 1 (retroactive to Feb 1 2024), 6% year 2 (Increase February 2025)

• Adjusting wage grids to reflect the provincial minimum wage, plus $1 – to lift members beyond the baseline 

• Paid sick time for part-timers

• No loss of pay for shifts cancelled without 24 hour notice 

• Vacation pay increase/top-up based on years of service 

• Religious and cultural leave in line with the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) 

• Bereavement leave inclusive of chosen family, language our full-time faculty colleagues already have 

Full proposal with suggested language: 

The Union proposal contains just under 30 items with a wage grid that can be utilized during bargaining. Many of the items are new though most are revisions or changes to previous items. 

You can read the full monetary outline here.

Please note: Each update has been summarized with the key points from each bulletin. Each update contains a link to the full bulletin. This summary is to give you a quick snap shot of where we are in bargaining. 

Update 1: February 9, 2024

In the first bargaining update the bargaining team was introduced, the non-monetary proposal was brought to the CEC, and the Bargaining In Blue campaign was launched. 

Bargaining team:

• Noor Askandar, George Brown College, Chair

• Sara McArthur, Mohawk College, Vice-Chair

• Doreen Follett, Algonquin College, Member

• Torsten Hamelin, George Brown College, Member

• Aliza Kassam, George Brown College, Member

• Paula Naylor, Sault College, Member

• Natalie Williams, Sheridan College, Member

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 2: March 26, 2024

This update discloses that the monetary items will be brought to the table the following week. The Part-Time Power! drop in events are included, and a letter was sent to the CEC (due to John Tibbit's public behaviour) about the importance of stronger, proactive protections against sexual harassment and the opportunity to secure those provisions through language we have tabled in bargaining. 

You can read the letter here. 

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 3: April 10, 2024

The team returned to the bargaining table, continued with the non-monetary proposal, and presented the monetary demands. The CEC did respond to the letter (see previous update) they did not continue the discussion on protections against sexual harassment in bargaining like they indicated they would. 

In addition to the bargaining table, this update also included the impact of the Part-Time Power! campaign. 

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 4: June 14, 2024

This update included mention of the Paid Sick Days Campaign as well as the Fund Our Colleges petition. 

In addition the team went back to the bargaining table with frustration as the CEC did not respond (two months after presenting!) to the proposal with member priority bargaining items.

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 5: July 30, 2024

The team went back to the bargaining table and noted the CEC's lack of understanding of member workload and undervaluing of our labour. Heads clashed at the table with the employer still not sharing their position. While discussion of monetary items did eventually occur, the employer continued to run the narrative of “fiscal responsibility,” and “administrative constraints.” 

In addition information about next steps and building capacity, the Fund Our Colleges campaign was discussed. 

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 6: September 18, 2024

The team went back to the table and finally after 6 months the CEC responded to the monetary proposal. During this discussion the employer; 

• Tabled language detrimental to student workers

• Ignored the conversation about paid sick days

• Pushed back on EDI items,  language including chosen family in bereavement leave, and religious/cultural leave

You can read the full bargaining update here.

Update 7: December 20, 2024

This was a significant update that expressed the frustration of the employer moving backwards instead of coming together. It included town hall information, and an updated proposal for key monetary and non-monetary items. This included:

• Paid sick days – all employees who have worked 20 shifts are entitled to 5 paid sick days per calendar years, renewing every January 1st (without accumulation of unused days);

• Cancelled shifts – any Part-Time member whose shift is cancelled with less than 24-hours’ notice or who is sent home for reasons beyond their control will not lose their pay;

• Wages – 6% annual wage increases for 2024 & 2025, and ensuring no member is left making minimum wage;

• Benefits – RPT, Casual, and Temporary members to receive an amount equal to 2% of regular hourly rate in lieu of benefits;

• Vacation pay – 0-8 years of service at 6%, 9-14 years of service at 8%, 15+ years of service at 10% (effective February 2025);

• Bereavement leave – inclusion of non-biological kin and chosen family;

• Religious/cultural leave – leave without loss of pay for sincerely held religious/cultural beliefs and practices;

• Stronger sexual harassment protections – removing 15-day timeline to file a grievance for Part-Timers who have experienced workplace sexual harassment;

• Written summaries (job descriptions) – within 10 days of receipt of a member’s request, College to provide at least a written summary of job duties;

• Applicant feedback – current Part-Timer who interviews for an internal job and is deemed unsuccessful may request feedback within 15 days of notice, to be provided within 30 days of position being filled;

• Full-time consideration – regular Part-Timers to be considered internal candidates for full-time jobs;

• Transfer into bargaining unit – college workers who are transferred into the Part-Time bargaining unit will receive full seniority based on continuous service at the College.

In addition to the above, the employer conceded to only 2 paid sick days with the exclusion of many part-time members and tabled a retroactive increase of only 2% a year. 

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 8: January 29, 2025

The CEC filed for conciliation (a petition to the ministry of labour to appoint a third-party to help in settling). When a conciliator is assigned dates will be set to meet. 

There has not been much progress in a year of coming to the table. The employer has failed to concede to the bare minimum and continues to hide behind a crisis to divide us and pass off a sub-par deal. 

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 9: March 12, 2025

You can join the mobilization committee by reaching out to caatsptbargainingteam@gmail.com. 

Conciliation was set to begin May 1.  In addition to the update abut conciliation,  information about mobilization and next steps for CAAT-S PT was discussed. 

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 10: April 29, 2025

The team went back to the conciliation on May 1- International Workers Day (May Day).

The pledge to support the bargaining team was shared along with additional ways to support bargaining- including a survey for members to allow submissions for conciliation/bargaining questions. 

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 11: May 1, 2025

With the employer finally releasing member information a town hall was set for May 14. 

This update also included revised bargaining strategy with an amended proposal including: 

• A 6% general wage increase in Year 1 (retroactive to February 1, 2024);

• An additional 6% general wage in Year 2 (increase effective February 1, 2025);

• Adjusting wage grids to reflect the provincial minimum wage, plus $1 – to lift members beyond the baseline;

• Paid sick days for all part-timers;

• No loss of pay for shifts cancelled without 24 hour notice;

• Vacation pay increase/top-up based on years of service;

• Religious and cultural leave in line with the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC);

• Bereavement leave inclusive of chosen family, language our full-time faculty colleagues already have;

• Job descriptions and prioritized consideration for full-time opportunities

In addition, though the CEC was the one to file for conciliation, they did not engage in the process. 

To mobilize the team offered some steps for members; RSVP for the May 14 town hall, take a pledge for fair wages, and follow the team on social media ( @CollegeSupportPT on Instagram and @CollegeSupportPT on Facebook). 

You can read the full bargaining update here.

Update 12: May 29, 2025

The employer gave notice of their requested "no board" report to all part-time support staff. This was an unwarranted escalation and meant that effective from the date that report was issued by the Ministry of Labour, a 16-day countdown beings until the employer could lock us out of our work, or impose terms and conditions. 

The employer continued to disregard negotiations even though we have been working 16 months with an expired contract. In addition the CEC refused to honour retro meaning that 2024 would have a 0% wage increase.  Shameful. 

This update also includes information for the June 11 town hall. 

You can read the full bargaining update here. 

Update 13: September 1 2025

Happy Labour Day! This one feels extra meaningful, because today we break the news that your bargaining team has filed for a strike vote.

For over 19 months, Part-Time Support Staff have been forced to work under an expired collective agreement by an employer that is refusing to bargain.

When we say “no” to that disrespect, we have the opportunity to send a powerful message and fight for something better.

Today, we start organizing to take our power back.

Where are we at in negotiations?

The employer’s last offer continues to discredit top-line priorities for our members – including paid sick days and cancelled shift pay for all workers, and bare minimum demands like job descriptions and a livable wage increase.

In May 2025, negotiations stalled out after we received a one-paragraph response, rather than a proposal response, from the employer after a full day of conciliation.

The employer escalated by filing a “no board” report, which would start the countdown towards possible escalation on the employer’s side – including imposing terms and conditions which could unilaterally change our working conditions, including changing our wages and hours of work.

In June 2025, the parties agreed to sign Memorandum of Agreement to protect our working conditions from such an escalation until we could schedule and conclude mediation dates with the employer.

But at this juncture, the employer has refused 23 out of 25 dates the union has offered – refusing to explore options until December 2025.

What can part-time support workers do during a full-time support strike? 

(See FT strike FAQ). 

Does a strike vote mean we’re going on strike?

A strike is the most powerful tool available to workers to leverage collective power and win changes in our workplace. Typically, if we get a majority “yes” strike vote, once a “no board” report is issued a sixteen (16) day countdown will commence after which labour action could commence – but does not automatically mean we’re going on strike, until five (5) days notice is given by the union.

How much is strike pay?

(See strike FAQ)

Read the full bulletin here; 

Save Our Colleges!

You're more than a number.

Going to college in Ontario shouldn’t make you feel like just a number. And working at one shouldn’t end as just another tally in a growing list of layoffs.

Our colleges were built to equip students to enter the workforce and, in turn, build Ontario’s future.

Today, they’re cash-grabs – because the Ford government set them up like a house of cards and walked away from its responsibility to fund them.

And as of today, nearly all of Ontario’s 24 public colleges have announced some combination of devastating program closures, campus closures, and layoffs. 

It would take $1.4 billion of immediate bridge funding to stop the cuts and save programs and jobs, and  another $1.34 billion to bring per-student funding up to the national average.

That’s significantly less than $55 billion to dig a tunnel under the 401.

• Tuition fee revenue has tripled across the colleges since 2010, while provincial funding decreased by 28%. 

• Ontario ranks dead-last among the provinces for per-student funding: $8,411 short of the national average.

• Since Ford’s election in 2018, international enrolment has tripled, while domestic enrollment is down by 20%.

• The college system accumulated a record surplus of $1 billion in 2023-24 alone. If invested like annual surpluses in years prior, that’s going to capital assets (i.e. more buildings.)

• Tuition should go back into the classroom and support services, not towards new vanity projects or administrative bloat. 

You can learn more about the campaign and join here

You can keep up-to-date during this bargaining cycle by:

• Following  @CollegeSupportPT on Instagram 

• Following @CollegeSupportPT on Facebook

• Reaching out with questions to caatsptbargainingteam@gmail.com

• Checking out the PT bargaining team's linktree