Bargaining Bulletin #11
If this is your first time reading an update from your union, the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO), there’s a simple reason: your employer only released your contact information yesterday, and only after legal pressure, despite the fact that we’ve been bargaining your contract since January 2024.
Part of bargaining in good faith is letting the Union have access to the contact information of the workers we are bargaining for. Until today, the employer – the College Employer Council (CEC) – has shuttered you out of the process you have the democratic right to participate in.
In light of this, we’re inviting all College Support Part-Time workers to a Town Hall on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. We’ll recap the fight for the contract you deserve – including real wage increases and paid sick days – and what it’ll take to make that happen.
RSVP here for Town Hall, May 14!
Breaking down the bargaining process & the road ahead
Today – May 1, 2025 – we came to the bargaining table hoping to reach a deal. It’s clear that only one side of the table held that view.
After 14 months in bargaining, the union and the employer met for their first day of conciliation. Conciliation is a phase of bargaining where a neutral, third-party conciliation officer experienced in mediation is appointed by the Ministry of Labour to help the parties find mutually agreeable solutions to outstanding issues.
We tabled an amended proposal this morning, prioritizing key member demands, 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
- A full bargaining timeline is provided at the end of this email.
Despite having filed for conciliation, the CEC chose to not engage in the process. After over 6 hours, and with a trained mediator present, the employer did not even respond with a proposal in turn – instead, issuing an 11-sentence statement calling bare-minimum demands “not realistic.” We’re not here to bargain against ourselves.
Over the last months, we have had to fight tooth and nail between bargaining bouts to secure a single day at the table.The employer’s last pass, from back in December, is a two-tier agreement which excludes the vast majority of part-time workers from paid sick days or cancelled shift protections. That’s not a win for workers – it’s an attempt to divide-and-rule.
It’s the same strategy employers use to keep workers divided, and keep us from building power; the same – pitting worker against worker, part-time against full-time, department against department. In this game, the only person that profits is the boss – not you.
At a time like this, we need solidarity, not division. We’re not just fighting for the future of our work – we’re fighting for the future of our college system.
So before you log off for the evening, take three actions:
- RSVP for the Town Hall – Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.
- Take the pledge to support a contract that includes a fair wage increase and paid sick days for ALL bargaining unit members!
- Follow us on social media for real-time updates @CollegeSupportPT on Instagram and @CollegeSupportPT on Facebook.
You can reach out with any questions, or get involved in your email to [email protected].
In solidarity,
Your College Support Part-Time Bargaining Team:
Noor Askandar, L557, George Brown College, Chair (she/her)
Sara McArthur, L241, Mohawk College, Vice-Chair (she/her)
Doreen Follett, L416, Algonquin College (she/her)
Torsten Hamelin, L557, George Brown College (he/him)
Aliza Kassam, L557, George Brown College (she/her)
Paula Naylor, L612, Sault College (she/her)
Natalie Williams, L245, Sheridan College (she/her)
Follow us on social media for regular updates:
Instagram: @CollegeSupportPT Facebook: @CollegeSupportPT
#MoreThanMinimum #NotaSideHustle #CollegesRunOnPTpower