Category: Campaigns
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Join the next OPS Unifier meeting!
Our next Unifiers meeting is just around the corner! We’ll be diving into how you can play a key role in strengthening our position at the bargaining table by building worker power across OPS Unified. Join us on Thursday, October 9th at 12:00 PM or 7:30 PM via Zoom to hear how workers have been…
Andy Pedersen
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In the news: Full-time college support workers show up in the thousands to show it’s NOT business as usual
Yesterday, Full-time College Support workers and allies descended upon college campuses across the province for a coordinated, ALL OUT action. Thousands of workers used their collective strength to send a strong message to the College Employer Council and College Presidents: “We demand a deal that protects jobs and student supports.” This moment signified a shift…
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Info on CAAT-A PT/SL emergency hardship funding
The Regional Hardship Fund – OPSEU SEFPO “If you are in need, please also contact your Local, as they may be able to assist you with additional resources!” “Remember that you may also be eligible for Employment Insurance coverage. Click here to find out: EI Regular Benefits – Canada.ca and remember, if you apply, to…
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College Full-time Support Staff Bargaining Update #26: Talks break down over job security, join our Emergency Town Hall tonight.
After three days of mediation starting Friday, talks broke down today after the employer and College presidents declared an impasse and refused any job security language that would clear the path to a settlement and end the strike. A detailed breakdown is coming this afternoon. The mediator-imposed media black out is lifted, effective immediately. Our…
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10,000 Ontario full-time college support staff remain on strike after talks break down over Colleges’ refusals on job security: “The plan to privatize and sell off our public college system is well underway.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Toronto, ON – Talks between the Ontario full-time college support staff bargaining team, represented by OPSEU/SEFPO, and the College Employer Council (CEC) broke down Monday after the employer refused progress on job security provisions for striking workers. Picket lines will stay up on college campuses across the province, with 10,000 workers…
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College Full-time Support Staff Bargaining Update #25: No progress on job security as employer blocks their own “path” to a deal.
After three days of mediation, the College Employer Council (CEC) has refused any meaningful progress on job security. The parties have not yet reached a deal. We have repeatedly made it clear that our members are on strike to protect our work – a pathway to settlement must include provisions to protect existing jobs, not…
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Striking Georgian College full-time support workers unite, upon announcement of the permanent closure of the Orillia and Muskoka
On Friday, September 26th, striking full-time College support workers at Georgian College united in Barrie, upon hearing of the surprise announcement of the closure of Georgian’s Orillia and Muskoka campuses, as of Fall 2026. These closures will have devastating effects in Bracebridge and Orillia, shuttering opportunities in local communities, and forcing relocation to Georgian’s main…
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OPSEU/SEFPO stands in solidarity with CUPW
The 180,000 members of OPSEU/SEFPO stand in solidarity with CUPW members, who launched a nation-wide strike against Canada Post on Sept. 25. “The members of OPSEU/SEFPO know what it’s like to face down an employer who is putting the very future of their work in peril,” OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick said today. “With the full…
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In the news: Striking full-time College Support workers wrapped up their second week on the line and in the headlines!
In these two weeks since the strike began, member voices from picket lines across the province have dominated the news coverage. College Support workers have been effectively sharing their stories and perspectives in the media and driving their message home – “we are fighting for the future of student supports and public education!” Below are…
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Strike Vote FAQ: Worth Fighting For campaign
Strike Votes: Frequently Asked Questions Bargaining units in the Worth Fighting For campaign have been taking coordinated bargaining actions to advance our key demands. By working together, we are stronger. So far, more than 70 OPSEU/SEFPO and CUPE Ontario bargaining units have filed for conciliation. The next step is taking coordinated strike votes to show…
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Recap: Striking Full-time Support Staff take the fight right to the boss’s doorstep
On Thursday, September 25th, hundreds of striking college full-time support staff, labour allies and faculty rallied outside the College Employer Council’s Headquarters, taking over the intersection near Queens Quay in Toronto. In the two weeks since the strike began, the employer – the College Employer Council (CEC) – has used media interviews to spread false…
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College Full-time Support Staff Bargaining Update #24: Mediator-imposed media blackout now in effect for negotiations.
The parties – your College Support Full-Time Bargaining Team and the employer, the College Employer Council (CEC) – will resume talks in mediation tomorrow. The mediator has instated a media blackout, effective immediately for both parties, with respect to all “public communication regarding negotiations as long as the parties are at the table and as…
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Recap: Striking Full-time Support Staff at Collège Boréal are joined by the Ontario NDP on the picket lines in Sudbury on the 50th anniversary of the Franco Ontarian Flag
On Thursday, September 25th, full-time College Support workers on the lines at Collège Boréal in Sudbury were joined by OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick, First Vice-President and Treasurer Laurie Nancekivell, and members of the Ontario NDP to rally for the future of Ontario Colleges. Amidst the second week of the strike, the rally sent a clear…
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Sector 11 Leadership Conference Recap – September 2025
The Sector 11 Leadership Conference was held from September 19–21, 2025 at Bayview Wildwood Resort in Severn Bridge, Ontario. Over the course of two days, union leaders and sector executives came together to engage in meaningful discussions, workshops, and planning sessions focused on leadership development, bargaining strategies, and sector-wide initiatives. Key highlights included: Opening remarks…
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College Full-time Support Staff Bargaining Update #23: Negotiations resume this Friday – now is the time to hold the line and show up stronger than ever.
Your Bargaining Team will resume talks with the College Employer Council (CEC) this Friday, September 26th with the assistance of a Ministry-appointed mediator. What we do in the coming days will define this moment in negotiations. Now is the time to hold the line, stronger than ever, and drive our message home. We’ve made our…
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College Full-time Support Staff Bargaining Update #22: Get off the air and get back to the bargaining table.
We’ve nearly hit two weeks on the picket line, and our leverage is breaking new ground. Thanks to you and your co-workers, holding the line day after day, we are now at over 80% participation on the lines – a number that is only growing. We need to stay strong. The colleges are starting to…
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In the news: Week one of the CAAT-S FT strike made it clear – workers are loud, united and making their message heard!
Full-time College Support workers on strike hit the headlines this week in their fight for the future of student supports and public education in Ontario. From messages of support from students, powerful perspectives from the lines and headlines that captured the urgency of this fight, the first week has set the tone for what’s to…
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OPSEU/SEFPO members join AMAPCEO to rally for hybrid work
Workers across the Ontario Public Service have been raising concerns about the Ford government’s sudden and arbitrary decision to eliminate hybrid work. On September 24, OPSEU/SEFPO stood alongside members from AMAPCEO and PEGO to call on the Ford government to reverse its decision. Amanda Usher, Chair of the OPS Unified Bargaining Team, spoke at the…
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OPSEU in the News: Hospital workers in the WRHN rally for equitable pay
On September 17, Hospital workers at the midtown location of the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) rallied to sound the alarm on unfair and unequal wages. The Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) includes two recently merged hospitals: Grand River and St. Mary’s. Workers at the Grand River are unionized, while workers at St. Mary’s…
Andy Pedersen
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United We Win: OPSEU/SEFPO members hold cross-sector rally in Thunder Bay
OPSEU/SEFPO members across the Ontario Public Service, Broader Public Service and Colleges came together for a cross-sector rally in Thunder Bay to highlight the shared challenges facing multiple sectors due to chronic underfunding. Workers gathered outside the office of Conservative MPP Kevin Holland to send a clear message that workers stand united for fair bargaining, better…