Part-time college support staff in Ontario ratify first-ever deal

Wage increase, shift-premium hike part of new contract: OPSEU

Part-time college support staff in Ontario ratify first-ever deal
Now that the college’s part-time support workers have a contract, it’s time for the College Employers Council (CEC) to voluntarily recognize OPSEU as the union for part-time and sessional faculty, said Thomas. GOOGLE STREET VIEW

About 20,000 part-time support workers at Ontario’s colleges voted to ratify their first-ever collective agreement on Feb. 21.

“History has been made,” said Warren (Smokey) Thomas, Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) president. “OPSEU and this large group of workers fought for years for the legislated right to join a union. We won that fight and now these workers have an excellent first contract to show for it.

The contract contains a number of significant improvements, including a three per cent wage increase over two years and shift-premium increases, a formal grievance process and vastly improved shift-change notice, said the union.

Now that the college’s part-time support workers have a contract, it’s time for the College Employers Council (CEC) to voluntarily recognize OPSEU as the union for part-time and sessional faculty, said Thomas.

“It’s been more than a year since part-time and sessional faculty voted on joining OPSEU, but the employer continues to stall and block those votes from being counted,” he said. “It’s time for the employer to stop with the dirty tricks and start respecting their employees’ Constitutional rights.”

Latest stories