Faculty Bargaining Update
The bargaining process is ongoing between the College Employer Council (CEC) and OPSEU, the Ontario college faculty union representing all full-time and partial load faculty, librarians, and counsellors at all publicly assisted colleges across Ontario.
The Ontario college faculty union bargaining team has requested and received a No Board Report from the Ministry of Labour. This is notable because it is legal for strike/labour action to commence on the 17th day after the issuance of the No Board Report, putting the union in a legal strike position beginning January 4, 2025.
This is not a guarantee that any form of labour action will commence after the waiting period. A No Board Report is a normal part of many collective bargaining processes.
Please be aware that there are different forms of labour action/strike. These include:
- Work to Rule: Bargaining union employees perform only the duties that have been assigned, adhering to policy and contract obligations.
- Partial Walk-Out Strike: Bargaining union employees do not perform some of their assigned duties.
- Rotating Strike: Bargaining union employees walk out for short periods of time at different institutions.
- Full Walk-Out Strike: Bargaining union employees withdraw all services from all colleges across the sector. This is the only form of strike that results in classes being entirely cancelled.
We remain hopeful that a new collective agreement can be reached without labour action. The bargaining teams representing the College Employer Council and OPSEU, the Ontario college faculty union have agreed to further mediation dates on January 6 and 7.
Please continue to check this page for updates and further information.
- Requesting a No Board Report is a step in the negotiation process. A No Board Report recognizes that the parties are at an impasse and a conciliator could not help.
- 16 days after a No Board Report is issued, the previous collective agreement is no longer binding, which puts the faculty union in a position where they could give notice of labour action and engage in a strike.
There are five requirements that must be met in order for a strike to occur.
- In order for the faculty union to strike, they require a strike mandate, which they received on October 18, 2024.
- The parties need to enter/attend conciliation. Conciliation was entered on October 9, 2024 and completed November 5, 2024.
- Conciliation must fail with either party requesting a no-board report. The union bargaining team requested a no-board report on December 12, 2024.
- Once a no-board report is issued, 16 calendar days must pass. This deadline will occur on January 4, 2025.
- The faculty union must provide the Colleges with 5 days notice. This has not happened yet.
Please be aware that there are different forms of labour action/strike. These include:
- Work to Rule: Bargaining union employees perform only the duties that have been assigned, adhering to policy and contract obligations.
- Partial Walk-Out Strike: Bargaining union employees do not perform some of their assigned duties.
- Rotating Strike: Bargaining union employees walk out for short periods of time at different institutions.
- Full Walk-Out Strike: Bargaining union employees withdraw all services from all colleges across the sector. This is the only form of strike that results in classes being entirely cancelled.
- If labour action or a strike were to disrupt the Winter Term, Lambton College will do everything possible to ensure that every student has the opportunity to complete their semester.
- Students will continue to receive important updates via email.
- Updates and additional information will continue to be posted to lambtoncollege.ca.
- In non-binding mediation, both parties will submit proposals to the agreed-upon neutral mediator.
- The mediator will work with the parties to find common ground and try to help them reach an agreement.
- If the parties cannot reach an agreement, the mediator cannot force either party to change their position.
- In a strike mandate vote, a union’s membership decides if they will give their bargaining team the authority to strike.
- A strike vote of College Employees is supervised by the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
- While a vote in favour of a strike mandate authorizes union leadership to give strike notice, it does not mean the union will automatically be going on strike.
- Though a vote in favour of a strike mandate does not necessarily guarantee that a full walk-out strike will take place, labour action such as strikes are a possibility during any labour negotiation.
- At Lambton College, our main concern is your education and student experience, and we are preparing for all possibilities.
Quick Facts
- Labour action has the potential to impact students at the Lambton College Sarnia campus as well as the Lambton College Ottawa campus. We will continue to keep students informed about the situation.
- Programs in Toronto and Mississauga are delivered by employees of Cestar College and Queen's College and are not affected by the current round of collective bargaining happening in the province.
Stay Informed
For the latest updates and information from both sides of the bargaining table, visit the following:
Previous Updates
Recently, members of the faculty union were given the opportunity to engage in a strike mandate vote, which took place virtually between October 15 - 18, 2024. This process resulted in a 76% voter turnout, and a 79% vote in favour of a strike mandate granting the union's bargaining team the authority to authorize a strike.