Ontario College Staff Strike for Job Security Amid Funding Crisis

More than 10,000 full-time college support staff at Ontario’s 24 public colleges initiated a strike on September 11, 2023. The strike, organized by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), stems from ongoing underfunding issues that have severely impacted job security within the sector. OPSEU representatives have reported that the college system has already experienced 10,000 job cuts in the past year, creating a chaotic environment for both staff and students.

“The future of our work is the future of student support,” said Christine Kelsey, Chair of OPSEU’s college support bargaining team. The union argues that the current funding structure fails to prioritize the needs of the colleges, especially as taxpayer money is redirected to non-college training providers through Ontario’s Skills Development Fund. The fund has received $2.5 billion in taxpayer contributions since 2020, surpassing the operational funding gap that colleges are currently facing.

In the midst of this strike, JP Hornick, president of OPSEU, emphasized, “It’s no longer a question of if there is money. It’s a question of where it’s going.” Hornick pointed out that as job opportunities continue to diminish and options for students shrink, Ontario taxpayers deserve clarity on how their money is being allocated.

The funding crisis extends beyond colleges. Faculty at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia faced a lockout from August 20 until a tentative agreement was reached on September 16. The agreement, which is pending approval from the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA), highlights similar issues of underfunding affecting universities across Canada.

David Robinson, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), noted that provincial governments nationwide have been neglecting the financial needs of post-secondary education, leading to deteriorating working conditions for faculty. “Faculty are being asked to do more and more with less and less,” Robinson stated. “Ultimately, this is jeopardizing the quality of education that students are receiving.”

The lockout at Dalhousie was initiated by the board of governors, citing an inability to meet the faculty association’s wage demands. According to David Westwood, president of the DFA, faculty members are requesting wages that not only keep pace with inflation but also address a 9 percent loss in real wages over the past decade. Additionally, faculty are advocating against the conversion of full-time positions into sessional contracts, which would further erode job security.

Robinson pointed out that the challenges of wage stagnation and the rising prevalence of contractual work are widespread issues facing university faculty across Canada, directly linked to chronic underfunding. He explained that the reliance on international students previously masked these funding issues, but recent caps on international admissions have exposed the underlying problem: inadequate government support for public post-secondary education.

As the struggles for equitable funding continue in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and beyond, CAUT has voiced its support for OPSEU college workers. Robinson remarked, “What’s happening at Dalhousie and in contract negotiations at other universities reflects faculty concerns about the quality of education suffering due to lack of public funding.”

Robinson urges solidarity with both faculty and students in their fight for a well-funded public education system. He argues that an educated populace is essential for addressing broader societal challenges. “A robust, independent, and autonomous post-secondary education system is vital not just economically, but also for tackling major crises we face,” he concluded.

The ongoing disputes in Ontario and Nova Scotia illustrate a critical moment for post-secondary education in Canada, as stakeholders call for urgent investment and reform to secure the future of both educators and students.