Full-time college support staff return to work after five week strike

After nearly five weeks on strike, full-time college support staff represented by the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) have reached a tentative agreement with the College Employer Council (CEC), affecting more than 10,000 workers across all 24 Ontario colleges.

Support staff, including those at St. Lawrence College Kingston and Brockville, were scheduled to return to work this morning, Thursday, October 16, 2025, after five weeks on the picket line. The strike began on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, when OPSEU and CEC failed to reach an agreement by 12:01 a.m. on the same day. Details of the tentative settlement will be presented to OPSEU members this afternoon, with a ratification vote expected by Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. 

According to a release from the CEC, a weekend-long private mediation session with Mediator William Kaplan broke the bargaining impasse and led to the tentative settlement.

“Support staff play an important role in our colleges, supporting operations and contributing to student success. We are grateful to have them back to work,” said CEC CEO Graham Lloyd, in a statement. 

“The past five weeks of the strike have been challenging for everyone involved. We appreciate the persistence of the bargaining teams on both sides, and the guidance of Mediator Kaplan, to reach this agreement.”

The challenges faced by students were evident when they walked out of class at SLC in solidarity with staff one week after the strike began. While classes continued "as usual," students reported dirty conditions and delays in receiving government tuition/living assistance resulted from the strike.

In agreement with OPSEU, picketing at all Ontario colleges has ended, and employees returned to work Thursday morning.

OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick expressed pride in members’ efforts and emphasized continued solidarity. 

“Full-time college support staff took on a tremendous fight, and I’m incredibly proud of our members for getting us to this moment,” Hornick said in a press release. 

“Now, we need to keep building on that momentum and show Ontario what is possible when working people stand together.”

Christine Kelsey, Chair of the union’s bargaining team, reflected on the negotiations, describing the process as difficult but necessary from the union’s standpoint. 

“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,” she said. “We had no choice but to fight back amidst what we saw as a plan to privatize public education, as well as 10,000 job losses and over 650 program cuts across the system.”

Kelsey added that the strike also raised public awareness about what OPSEU views as broader funding and policy issues within Ontario’s college system.  

A release from the union cited recent government-commissioned college audits, which they argue “paint an alarming vision” for the future of Ontario’s colleges — including potential cutbacks, outsourcing, and mergers.

The union also criticized the Ford government’s use of the Skills Development Fund (SDF), claiming that the program has directed millions of dollars toward private training providers instead of public colleges. Government officials have previously defended the SDF as a means to address labour shortages and strengthen Ontario’s workforce, though they have not yet commented on the union’s latest allegations.

“We’re going to keep exposing Ford’s web of corporate buddies and corrupt backroom deals,” Hornick said. “This fight is about the future of public education, and it’s just beginning.”

The Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Premier’s Office have not publicly addressed OPSEU’s recent allegations regarding the Skills Development Fund or college system funding.

Kingstonist reached out to local OPSEU representatives and college support staff, as well as SLC in Kingston, but no response was received from any local officials by time of publication. This article will be updated if/when further information becomes available.

With the picket lines no longer at the entrances to SLC in Kingston, Kingston Transit routes have resumed stopping at the bus stops/transfer points at the college. Information on the recent changes to Kingston Transit services can be read in our previous coverage here.