Ontario college support staff take step toward strike with ‘no board’ request

The union that represents thousands of full-time support staff at Ontario’s colleges has taken a step toward a possible strike.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says it has requested a “no board” report, and once issued by the province’s labour ministry it would set a 16-day countdown to a legal strike position.

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The union says there is no strike date at this time, but it would put them in a position to withdraw services for the fall semester.

Members voted earlier this month 77.3 per cent in favour of authorizing a strike, if necessary.

The College Employer Council, the bargaining agent for the province’s publicly funded colleges, has said the union’s demands would expose colleges to more than $900 million in additional costs.

OPSEU has proposed a moratorium on campus closures and preventing further layoffs, as the sector has seen closures and what the union describes as thousands of job losses due to a funding crisis.