Full-time faculty, counsellors and librarians at all Ontario public Colleges, including full-time faculty and counsellors at Northern College, have voted in favour of giving its union, the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union (OPSEU), a strike mandate.
At this time, current college operations and Fall term academic schedules remain in place, including all scheduled classes, labs and learning activities.
In Ontario, full-time faculty and counsellors are members of a single union (OPSEU) and negotiations take place between the union and the College Employer Council (CEC), a committee representing all 24 public colleges in the province.
In Canada, unionized employees have a legal right to negotiate contracts and to strike. A strike is a lawful activity that can take many forms, including modified work schedules (work to rule) that slow down, interrupt or disrupt operations. Strikes can also include rotating job actions where job actions take place at some work sites but not at others. At its most serious, a strike can be a full work stoppage.
At this time, there is no indication that a strike is imminent. OPSEU and the province’s colleges are currently negotiating with the assistance of government-appointed conciliators. Should that process be unsuccessful, there will be a minimum of 15 days before the union may commence modified work or a work stoppage.
We acknowledge that the bargaining process may raise concerns about your studies and your time at Northern College. While strike actions are common in many parts of the world and can take on many forms, previous work stoppages at Northern College have been peaceful in nature. It’s also important to note that no college student in Ontario has ever lost his or her year or term due to a strike.