Melissa Sundardas
Contributor
Over 8,000 support staff returned to work September 20 after an 18-day strike, following a tentative agreement made Sunday night between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and Ontario colleges.
As of now, employees will return to work until the new agreement is ratified as per the terms and conditions of the previous agreement.
“We’re pleased that we’ve reached a tentative agreement, and it will now go to a ratification vote,” says Greg Hamara of OPSEU communications, although he noted that a date for the vote has not been set.
“We believe this could have been settled much earlier had the management put a greater effort into negotiating in an earlier process, but that’s in the past now.”
According to a press release on OPSEU’s website, the tentative agreement was made following two days of intensive bargaining by negotiators for members of management and the OPSEU.
During this time, Hamara says OPSEU has received an outpouring of support from both students and institutions.
“We’re grateful for the support that we’ve received from many students and colleges,” he says.
Jim Robeson, director of advocacy for the College Student Alliance (CAS), is also pleased that colleges will be fully operational.
“I think it’s fair to say that all students across Ontario are relieved that the essential services that they require are now back at the college,” says Robeson.
Hamara says while the strike may have been frustrating for students and their parents, part of their campaign and negotiations were about maintaining good jobs, which will have a positive impact on future graduating students.
“If we whittle away and erode our collective agreements, that’ll weaken jobs in the future for the very same students that the colleges are training,” he says.
During the ratification vote, members will vote for or against the terms of the agreement. If a majority of members vote for the agreement, the strike will be officially over. If not, the teams will go back to the bargaining table with the strike potentially continuing.
Details of the agreement have been placed under a media ban and will not be available to the public until the ratification vote has been taken.
“I think we just hope that both parties have come to an agreement that they’re both comfortable with, and that this will ensure that both parties are satisfied moving forward,” says Robeson.
