Academic Bargaining Ontario’s 24 colleges and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union CAAT-A (OPSEU), which represents full-time and partial load academic faculty, librarians and counsellors at all 24 Ontario colleges, are negotiating a new collective agreement. As one of these colleges, Durham College does not negotiate directly with its unionized employees. Instead, the College Employer Council (CEC) serves as the bargaining agent for all Ontario colleges, as mandated by the province. You can stay updated on the bargaining process by visiting this webpage. Please note that all classes, labs, and campus operations continue as usual. What You Need to Know College business continues as usual. All classes, activities and events remain unaffected. No Ontario college student has ever lost their academic year because of a work stoppage. Durham College will continue to communicate how any action related to academic bargaining impacts students, employees and community members. Questions and Answers What is a strike vote? A strike vote is a referendum by union members deciding whether or not to go on strike. An affirmative strike vote authorizes union leadership to give 5 days strike notice. This is called a strike mandate. An electronic strike vote of Academic Employees was supervised by the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The vote was decided when more than 50% + 1 majority of those who cast their ballot voted in favour of a strike mandate. What is a strike? 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 classes and labs. What is conciliation? Like mediation, conciliation is a voluntary, flexible, confidential, and interest-based process. The parties seek to reach a settlement with the assistance of the conciliator, appointed by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development which acts as a neutral third party. How does an academic employee strike vote impact me today? Currently, classes, labs and campus operations remain unaffected. What happens next? Discussions with the conciliator, OPSEU and the CEC continue with the goal of reaching a new collective agreement. We will continue to provide updates to students and employees by email and on this page. Any impact on classes, labs or campus operations will be communicated in advance to ensure the campus community is prepared and informed. How will I know if there will be a strike? DC will communicate how any action related to academic bargaining impacts students, employees and members of the community by email and on this page. What is Durham College doing to prepare? While we remain hopeful a work stoppage can be avoided, please be assured that contingency plans are in place, with student success as our priority. Ongoing communication will be shared through this page and by email. Where can I learn more about negotiations and strike action? College Employer Council OPSEU
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