Ontario college support staff reach tentative agreement to end strike
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TORONTO – The union representing more than 10,000 full-time college support staff at Ontario’s 24 public colleges has reached a tentative agreement after nearly five weeks on strike.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union said picket lines will come down and the details of the tentative settlement will be presented to members on Wednesday.
“Full-time college support staff took on a tremendous fight, and I’m incredibly proud of our members for getting us to this moment,” OPSEU president JP Hornick said in a statement.
“Now, we need to keep building on that momentum and show Ontario what is possible when working people stand together.”
Terms of the proposed settlement were not immediately available but OPSEU had said job security was a critical concern amid campus closures, program cuts and layoffs in the college sector.
The full-time support staff are scheduled to return to work Thursday.
“After months of intensive negotiations with an incredibly difficult employer, the gains made in this agreement would not have been possible without members holding strong these last weeks,” chair of the union’s bargaining team, Christine Kelsey, said.
“We had no choice but to fight back amidst a plan to privatize public education, as well as 10,000 job losses and over 650 program cuts across the system.”
The College Employer Council, which represents Ontario colleges, said a weekend-long private mediation session broke a bargaining impasse and lead to a tentative settlement.
“Support staff play an important role in our colleges, supporting operations and contributing to student success,” College Employer Council CEO Graham Lloyd said in a statement.
“We are grateful to have them back to work. The past five weeks of the strike have been challenging for everyone involved.”
The council said union members still have to ratify the tentative agreement by Nov. 4.
The workers had been on strike since Sept. 11 and were demanding better wages, benefits, and job security.
On some days, in-person classes and activities were cancelled on campuses where striking support staff held rallies, including at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont., Mohawk College in Hamilton and St. Clair College in Windsor, Ont.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2025.