Faculty at Ontario’s 24 colleges, including St Clair and Lambton College, will not be hitting the picket line.
The College Employer Council (CEC) and the Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU) have agreed to enter binding arbitration.
The union, which represents more than 15,000 professors, instructors, librarians, and counsellors, issued a five-day strike notice last Friday. Officials say significant benefit gains were agreed upon, but other outstanding issues will be resolved by the arbitrator.
“We are pleased to have averted an unnecessary strike at Ontario’s 24 public Colleges,” said Graham Lloyd, CEO of CEC. “Our goal throughout negotiations has been to recognize the hard work of academic employees and to keep students in class. To this end, CEC offered several breakthrough proposals such as enhanced benefits for all academic employees and improved access to benefits for partial-load employees.”
“Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions, and with a historic strike mandate and province-wide organizing, faculty sent the clear message that we’re ready to stand up to protect both,” said Ravi Ramkissoonsingh, chair of the OPSEU faculty bargaining team.
