The union representing academic staff at Ontario’s public colleges says it has made a request for a strike vote to be held after the start of classes next month.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has asked the Ontario Labour Relations Board, which is responsible for scheduling the vote, for a date in the second week of September.
In a news release issued Thursday, the union says college management has refused to address “core issues” during the bargaining process.
“We’ve put forward proposals that would improve academic decision-making through collegial governance and academic freedom, create fairness in how partial-load and contract faculty are treated, and support the success of students,” said JP Hornick, chair of the unit’s bargaining committee.
Hornick said that while the union will continue working towards a deal, a “yes” vote would send a clear message.
“We are asking members for a strong ‘YES’ vote to help the team push for the best deal possible,” Hornick said in a statement.
OPSEU’s College Academic Division represents 12,000 full- and part-time instructors, professors, counsellors and librarians at 24 colleges in Ontario.
The current collective agreement expires on Sept. 30.