College Full-Time Support Staff Bargaining Update #12: We made history – members vote “YES” to authorize strike, if necessary, in record turnout
August 16, 2025
The results are in – members have voted 77.3% “YES” to authorize a strike, if necessary, to secure respect at the bargaining table and the contract we deserve.This is a victory for all of us – and a win that belongs to you, too. These results were only realized through the organizing work you’ve put in to talk to your co-workers, build local connections, and keep your colleagues engaged. 80% of us, 8099 members, voted in a clear majority, sending a powerful message: thousands of members have been watching what’s happening in bargaining, and we’re fed up.We’re fed up with an employer willing to lie about one of the largest layoffs in Ontario’s history, misrepresent their commitment to supporting students while over 600 programs are suspended/cancelled, and mask intentions to create more precarity and erode our hard-fought workplace protections.
As we head back to the table on August 20th for conciliation, we need to make real progress. And now, you’ve armed your bargaining team with a historic strike mandate to demand it.At this juncture, we have the opportunity to be on the frontlines of not just the fight for a fair contract, but also the public fight for a different college system. A system where our work is respected.A system where we are job-secure, without constantly preparing a Plan B or C to make ends meet.A system where we invest in staff on the frontlines because it’s an investment in students and classrooms – instead of courting corporate sponsors or private partnerships on new buildings we can’t fill.A system that listens and responds to community interests – instead of cutting programs that our communities need (like at Algonquin College, Confederation College, or Mohawk College, amongst others.)These are not pie-in-the-sky ideals. It’s getting back to the basics: a return to the original vision of our college system, before it was run aground by government neglect, college mismanagement, and private interests.There is only one way we build this fight – just like we built this historic strike vote. Brick by brick, conversation by conversation, hand in hand. We’re already doing it. Now, we just have to keep that work up.As your bargaining team, we won’t take this mandate for granted. When we return to the bargaining table this coming Tuesday, with the strength of the membership behind us, we’re ready to get down to business.As always, you can read the latest bargaining updates on CollegeSupportFT.org.Solidarity,Your College Support Full-Time Bargaining Team:Christine Kelsey, Chair – Local 416, Algonquin College
Shelley Gartshore, Vice-Chair – Local 124, Lambton College
Veronica Attard – Local 416, Algonquin College
Dan Brisson – Local 672, Collège Boréal
Bob Holder – Local 243, Niagara College
Dana Leaman – Local 241, Mohawk College
Xiaoyan Wang– Local 561, Seneca College