Fleming College administration has welcomed more than a dozen full-time support staff back to their roles at the Haliburton School of Art + Design after a month-long standoff between the College Employer Council (CEC) and the union OPSEU/SEFPO ended Oct. 16.
News broke last week that the two sides had reached an agreement that would send 10,000 striking employees back to work. No terms have been revealed, but the agreement that ended a five-week strike at Ontario’s 24 public colleges, which began Sept. 11, is subject to the union members’ ratification by Nov. 4.
Chris Jardine, associate vice-president of marketing and advancement at Fleming, said the college was glad to have workers back on campus.
“Yes, a tentative agreement for fulltime support staff has been reached, and picketing has ended,” Jardine said. “We’re pleased to have full-time support staff back at work and college operations returning to normal.”
About 15 workers had been picketing for weeks off the HSAD property on College Drive, after their contracts expired Aug. 31. Of Fleming’s 250 full-time support staff, 79.8 per cent were in favour of striking, said OPSEU Local 351 president Marcia Steeves. She did not elaborate on the terms of the deal.
Christine Kelsey, chair of the union’s bargaining team, celebrated the deal in an Oct. 15 statement.
“After months of intensive negotiations with an incredibly difficult employer, the gains made in this agreement would not have been possible without members holding strong these last weeks,” Kelsey said. “We had no choice but to fight back amidst a plan to privatize public education, as well as 10,000 job losses and over 650 program cuts across the system.
Fleming have been lost and more than 20 programs cut. In July, 29 Fleming workers were informed their positions were being terminated effective Oct. 9, including at least one from HSAD.
Since 2020, HSAD has lost four fulltime support staffers, dropping from seven academic support roles to three.
Part-timers vote to strike
The Ontario Labour Relations Board confirmed that only 30 per cent of approximately 13,000 unionized part-time college support staffers participated in a four-day strike vote Oct. 14-17, with 64 per cent in favour of striking.
Part-timers have been without a contract since Jan. 31, 2024, with negotiations over a new collective agreement for the past 18 months proving unsuccessful. OPSEU/ SEFPO and the CEC have agreed to three mediation dates – Nov. 20, Dec. 12 and Jan. 28, 2026 – with a proposed strike in February if a new deal isn’t agreed.
“Our proposals aren’t unreasonable, they are what we deserve,” the union said in an Oct. 17 statement.
The CEC’s Graham Lloyd said all unionized employees have been offered a two per cent annual wage increase; a six per cent jump in vacation pay; two paid sick days per year; no loss of pay for permanent employees whose shifts are cancelled within 24 hours; stronger protections in cases of workplace sexual harassment; and an internal applicant status for part-timers applying for full-time roles.
The union is calling for a six per cent annual wage increase, eight per cent in vacation pay, five paid sick days per year, and unlimited paid time off for religious and cultural reasons.
“A strike amongst our valued part-time staff is not necessary to achieve a fair agreement,” Lloyd said. “The part-time support staff are important to the colleges and have worked hard, especially during the last five weeks, to support colleges operations.”
