Student Information FAQ
The College Employer Council (CEC) and the Union OPSEU CAAT-A bargaining team (representing full-time and partial-load professors, instructors, librarians, and counsellors) are currently negotiating a collective agreement.
Formal negotiations between the parties started in July 2024.
On November 5, the CEC and CAAT-A bargaining team met in their final day of conciliation. The parties have mutually agreed to move to non-binding mediation.
CEC and CAAT-A bargaining team have agreed to meet in mediation between December 6 - 8, 2024.
The parties have agreed that neither will ask for a no-board report or escalate job action before or during mediation.
We remain hopeful CEC and CAAT-A bargaining team will reach an agreement to provide stability for students, employees and the greater College community.
The below FAQ was created to help answer student questions about the ongoing negotiations.
To review a glossary of terms, click here.
- A referendum by union members deciding whether or not to go on strike. An affirmative strike vote authorizes union leadership to give strike notice.
- This is called a strike mandate.
- A strike vote of College Employees is supervised by the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
- The vote will be decided by a 50% + 1 majority of those who cast their vote. If only a few people vote, those voters will decide this question for everyone across the province.
- No, there will not be a strike in the fall semester.
- A strike requires a few conditions with specific timelines to be met. There is no possibility of these requirements and timelines occurring in the fall semester.
- The parties mutually agreed to enter non-binding mediation with experienced mediator, William Kaplan.
- Both parties agreed not to escalate negotiations through a strike or lock-out before or during mediation.
- Mediation will take place December 6-8, 2024
- Both parties will submit proposals to the agreed upon neutral mediator.
- The mediator will work with the parties to find common ground and come to an agreement.
- If the parties do not come to an agreement, the mediator cannot force either party to change their position.
- After a strike vote, if 50% +1 of those who vote, vote yes, then the union bargaining team receives a strike mandate.
- A strike mandate is necessary for the union to go on strike.
- Before a strike can occur, 5 requirements must be met. Not all requirements have been met at this time.
Y - A strike requires the union bargaining team having a strike mandate. Which they received on October 18, 2024.
Y - The parties need to enter/attend conciliation. The parties continue to be in conciliation.
N - Conciliation must fail with either party requesting a no-board report. Neither party has requested a no-board report.
N - Once a no-board report is issued, 16 calendar days must pass.
N - The union must provide the Colleges with 5 days’ notice.
- Like mediation, conciliation is a voluntary, flexible, confidential, and interest-based process. The parties seek to reach a settlement with the assistance of the conciliator, appointed by the Ministry of Labour which acts as a neutral third party.
- A strike may take different forms. In general, it is a refusal to work in the normal way that is designed to slow down, disrupt, or stop operations.
- Work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strike, and full walk-out are all forms of strike.
- In work-to-rule, employees perform only the duties that have been assigned, strictly adhering to policy and contract obligations.
- In a partial walk-out, employees refuse to perform some of their assigned duties.
- In a rotating strike, employees walk out entirely for short periods of time at different institutions.
- In a full walk-out strike, employees withdraw all their services and choose to walk the picket line.
- Labour action does mean strike. Strike action can take various forms, which include: work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strike, all the way up to a full walk out.
- Only the Union can determine what forms of strike action will occur and when.
- The Colleges cannot force faculty to go on strike.
- Only the Union team can determine what form of strike action it engages in (work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strikes, walk-out).
- They can last for a day or for an extended period of time.
- In 2017, the Union full walk-out strike lasted for more than 5 weeks. Students were still able to complete their semester.
- Yes, campuses have always remained open during strikes.
- Access to campus is not impacted, however extra time may be required to cross a picket line safely and respectfully. When picket lines occur, picketers cannot prevent access to those looking to enter campus.
- In the event of a full walk-out which includes picket lines, information will be provided by your College on how to safely access campus.
- Go to your College website for updates on the labour dispute.
- If you plan to visit campus, leave extra time for travelling to the college as picket lines may be set up at campus entrances and all are reminded to respect the picket lines and understand extra time may be needed to get to campus.
- If there is a full walk-out strike and you take transit to campus, be aware that transit buses will drop students off outside of the campus to respect picket lines.