Support Staff Strike Hits Georgian College; Owen Sound Campus Open
Ontario college strike: 465 Georgian staff off the job. Owen Sound campus remains open, though picket lines may cause delays.
About 465 full-time support staff at Georgian College are on strike today as part of a provincewide walkout that began at 12:01 a.m.
The strike involves the Full-Time Support Staff (FTSS) unit of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO), which represents roughly 10,000 workers across Ontario’s 24 public colleges. Their contract expired on August 31.
Georgian operates seven campuses, including Barrie, Owen Sound, Collingwood, Muskoka, and Orangeville. The college did not provide a breakdown of how many of the 465 striking staff work at each site.
All Georgian campuses remain open and classes are continuing. Students and staff may face delays at entrances due to information picket lines.
Union Says Job Security at the Heart of Strike Action
Union leaders say job security is their top priority after years of layoffs and program cuts. OPSEU says more than 10,000 support staff positions have been lost and over 650 programs suspended or cancelled across the college system in recent years.
“College support staff are the foundation of student experience across over 150 job classifications,” bargaining chair Christine Kelsey said earlier this month. “After the strain that devastating job cuts have put on those supports, we need some guarantee that we can protect what’s left so students don’t fall through the cracks.”
On September 9, OPSEU released a report accusing the provincial government of defunding colleges while directing $2.5 billion since 2020 into the Skills Development Fund, which funds non-college training programs. The union says little public information is available on how that money has been spent.
Employer Council Response
The College Employer Council (CEC), which bargains on behalf of colleges, says the union’s demands would add more than $900 million in costs. The CEC says it has offered wage and benefit increases, improved severance, and better vacation rights.
Colleges, meanwhile, continue to face financial strain from provincial underfunding, a tuition freeze, and a federal cap on international students.
Georgian College Response
Georgian has created a strike information page at georgiancollege.ca with updates and frequently asked questions.
President and CEO Kevin Weaver said the college wants the dispute resolved quickly but stressed that classes will continue: “Our goal at Georgian is to ensure our students continue their learning.”