Ontario Public Colleges agree to increase full-time and partial load academic wages
SARNIA, August 23, 2023 - The College Employer Council (CEC) and OPSEU/SEFPO CAAT-full-time and partial-load academic employees have reached an agreement to increase the benefits and wages.
In light of the November 2022 Bill 124 ruling by the Ontario Superior Court, the parties agreed to meet with mediator Gedalof on Monday, August 14, 2023. They met for more than 13 hours to negotiate a remedy.
As a result, Full-time and partial-load academic employees will receive an additional 6.5% increase on top of the 3% increase they received under Bill 124, totaling 9.5% overall throughout the course of the collective agreement.
The wage increases were mutually agreed upon as follows:
- October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022 – 3% percent;
- October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023 – 3% percent; and
- October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024 – 3.5% percent.
Bargaining unit employees will receive the retroactive payments in the coming pay periods.
Additionally, the extended health plan paramedical coverage was increased from $3,000 to $4,750 annually to be implemented on October 1, 2023.
“Ontario Colleges play a vital role in Ontario’s economy, and we value academic employees and the education and stability they provide students, Colleges, and the greater community,” said Graham Lloyd, CEO of CEC. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Union on wage increases and announce that the academic employee’s collective agreement for 2021-2024 is concluding”.
No other changes were made to the 2021-2024 collective agreement.
The current collective agreement expires on September 30, 2024. Bargaining for the next Collective Agreement is expected to begin July 2024.