College Part-Time Support Staff Bargaining Update: We’re worth more than zero.
May 30, 2025
Bargaining Bulletin #12Earlier this week, our employer gave notice of their requested “no board” report to all part-time college support staff. During contract negotiations, this means that effective from the date that report is issued by the Ministry of Labour, a 16-day countdown begins until the employer can lock us out of our work, or impose terms and conditions.This is an unwarranted escalation. There’s still progress to be made – the employer just doesn’t want to engage in dialogue, or bargain fairly. We’ve been forced to work under an expired contract for 16 months. Now, the employer has put themselves in a position to deny us work or strip job protections by setting terms of their choosing – which can affect everything from our wages, to hiring and firing language. It’s their attempt to bully us into a bad deal that won’t help make day-to-day life more affordable. The only reasonable answer to that is “NO.”But we knew this would happen, because we know this employer. Just like we know that the employer would love nothing more than to push an offer on you that gives you nothing – and still expect a thank you.The employer’s last tabled wage offer in December 2024 offers an increase of 2% per year, starting from the first effective day of our new contract. That means for every day we’ve worked since our contract expired January 31, 2024, we get a great big zero.A zero percent wage increase for over a year of our work. That’s what the employer thinks our labour is worth.But it’s even worse than that.The employer’s penny-pinching “breakthrough provisions” – all pulled from our proposals – limit paid sick days and cancelled-shift pay to only regular part-time support staff, leaving the majority of us out of the equation.That’s the bad news. The good news is that when we say “no” to that disrespect, we have the opportunity to send a powerful message and hold out for something far better. It’s up to us. We’re worth more than zeros and twos, and it’s time we get it.If you agree, join us Wednesday, June 11th at 7:00 p.m. to plug into how we’re going to do it: