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Support staff at Ontario’s public colleges have voted strongly in favour of a strike mandate, raising pressure as new contract talks begin this week.
The action would likely affect operations at colleges in Belleville and Kingston.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents thousands of support staff, announced that 77.3 per cent of members voted to authorize strike action if necessary. The union says the move gives its bargaining team a historic mandate heading into conciliation talks with the College Employer Council on Wednesday.
The council, which represents Ontario’s publicly funded colleges, says the union’s proposals would add more than $900 million in costs. Those proposals include six additional paid days off and 10 paid family-care days.
The union has pushed back, accusing colleges of inflating the costs. It also says nearly 10,000 faculty and staff jobs have been cut or remain at risk due to program cancellations since 2023.
Talks continue as colleges face sharp financial challenges.
