Information for Students in case of a Labour Disruption

• We hope there will be no strike. Only the union controls whether it will call for a strike. The CEC (bargaining agent for the Colleges) remains committed to finding a solution to negotiations that will not impact students.
• We want to avoid any interruption to student learning.

• The College will update students and community partners if there is a labour disruption that interrupts college operations. College email, this FAQ, and URSLC will be the primary channels used to ensure students are equipped with the information that they need.

• There is the potential a semester could be interrupted.
• A strike could result in an extended semester or delayed exams or convocation.
• However, if the semester is impacted, Colleges will do everything possible to ensure that all students have the opportunity to complete the semester.
• Historically, no semester has been lost to a strike. Students have always been provided opportunities to complete classes and graduate.
• If a strike occurs and if it runs for a few weeks, then the end date / and subsequent starting date of the affected semesters might change. This would be communicated to you by the College.
• College email, this FAQ, and URSLC will be the primary channels used to ensure students are equipped with the information that they need.

• Before a strike can occur, 5 requirements must be met. Not all requirements have been met at this time.

Requirements and Status:

• The union bargaining team needs a strike mandate: Received on October 18, 2024.
• The parties need to enter/attend conciliation: Entered conciliation October 9, 2024 Completed November 5, 2024
• Conciliation must fail with either party requesting a no-board report. The union bargaining team requested a no-board report on December 12
• Once a no-board report is issued, 16 calendar days must pass. This deadline will occur on January 4, 2025.

The union must provide the Colleges with 5 days’ notice. This has not happened yet. If it does, the College will provide you with notice. College email, this FAQ, and URSLC will be the primary channels used to ensure students are equipped with the information that they need.

• The parties mutually agreed to enter non-binding mediation with experienced mediator, William Kaplan.
• Both parties agreed not to escalate negotiations through a strike or lock-out before or during mediation.
• Mediation began with meetings between December 6-8, 2024, and both parties have agreed to extend mediation and meet again on January 6-7, 2025.
• On December 12, 2024, OPSEU academic bargaining team requested a no board report from the Ministry of Labour and it was approved on December 18,2024. This puts OPSEU and its members in a strike position early in the new year, if an agreement is not reached during the extended mediation dates of January 6-7, 2025.

• Both parties will submit proposals to the agreed upon neutral mediator.
• The mediator will work with the parties to find common ground and come to an agreement.
• If the parties do not come to an agreement, the mediator cannot force either party to change their position.

• An example is binding interest arbitration where an agreed upon neutral third-party arbitrator makes decisions if the parties can’t come up with a compromise.
• Interest arbitration has been used in the past two academic rounds of negotiations.

• If the Union decides to take its members on a strike, they must first provide the Colleges with 5 days’ notice.
• Once the Colleges receive notice, they will then communicate to students, employees, and the greater College community. College email, this FAQ, and URSLC will be the primary channels used to ensure students are equipped with the information that they need.

• A no board report recognizes that the parties are at an impasse (which means negotiations are not working) and that a conciliator could not help.
• Requesting a no-board report is a step in the negotiations process.
• 16 days after a no board report is issued, the previous collective agreement (The agreement with between the Colleges and the faculty union) is no longer binding.
• This means that the Union could give notice of labour action and engage in a strike.
• The CEC can also choose to change terms of the existing collective agreement or lock-out employees (Colleges have never locked employees out).

• At the Colleges, strikes are peaceful forms of protest
• Picket lines are formed by striking employees and people can be delayed from entering campus.
• A strike may take different forms. In general, it is a refusal to work in the normal way that is designed to slow down, disrupt, or stop college operations. A strike is organized by a Union as a form of protest typically in an attempt to force the employer to agree to their demands.
• Unfortunately, in the Colleges, when faculty members choose to apply pressure by slowing down, disrupting or stopping work, these actions lead to varying degrees of negative impact on the academic delivery.

• Labour action does mean a strike. Strike action can take various forms, which include: work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strike, all the way up to a full walk out.
• Only the Union can determine what forms of strike action will occur and when.

• Work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strike, and full walk-out are all forms of strike.
• In work-to-rule, employees perform only the duties that have been assigned, strictly adhering to policy and contract obligations.
• In a partial walk-out, employees refuse to perform some of their assigned duties.
• In a rotating strike, employees walk out entirely for short periods of time at different institutions.
• In a full walk-out strike, employees withdraw all their services and choose to walk the picket line.

• The Colleges cannot force faculty to go on strike.
• Only the Union team can determine what form of strike action it engages in (work-to-rule, partial walk-out, rotating strikes, walk-out).
• The College will not lock the faculty out (which means the employer will not force a work stoppage.)

• They can last for a day or for an extended period of time.
• In 2017, the Union engaged in a full walk-out strike that lasted for more than 5 weeks. Students were still able to complete their semester.

• Yes, campuses will remain open.
• When picket lines occur, picketers cannot prevent access to those looking to enter campus (however, as mentioned above, they can rightfully delay access for up to 10 minutes.) Extra time may be required to cross the picket line safely and respectfully.
• In the event of a full walk-out which includes picket lines, information will be provided by the College on how to safely access campus.

• Go to the College website for updates on the labour dispute. College email, this FAQ, and URSLC will be the primary channels used to ensure students are equipped with the information that they need.
• If you plan to visit campus, leave extra time for travelling to the college as picket lines may be set up at campus entrances and limit traffic flow.
• If there is a full walk-out strike and you take transit to campus, be aware that transit buses will drop students off outside of the campus to respect picket lines.

• The CEC website contains information on the bargaining process and an ongoing archive of proposals from both parties.
• Additionally, all news updates are published across CEC social media channels and the website.
• Please visit CollegeEmployerCouncil.ca or follow the CEC on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.