No. There can be no strike unless there is a positive strike vote. Once a positive strike vote is given, the union is not required to go back to the members for confirmation of that vote. 

The decision whether or not to strike is exclusively determined by the union once a positive strike vote has taken place.

For information about a strike at your college, please check your email, the college website and social media posts.

The current collective bargaining agreement for full-time support staff at Ontario colleges expires on August 31, 2025. A strike can technically take place any day after that.

There is the possibility of a legal strike around September 10, 2025.

However, a number of steps must be taken before the union can strike:

1. Conciliation - If negotiations stall, either party can request the Minister of Labour to appoint a conciliation officer to help reach an agreement. The union has already requested conciliation and a date for conciliation is scheduled for August 20, 2025.
2. No-Board Report - If conciliation fails, the officer reports to the minister, who may issue a “no-board” notice. This means no conciliation board will be appointed, and it starts the countdown to a legal strike.
3. Waiting Period - After the no-board notice is issued, the union must wait 17 days before legally striking.
4. Notice of strike - If the union decides to take its members on a strike, they must first provide the colleges with 5 days’ notice.

For information about a strike at your college, please check your email, the college website and social media posts. You can also find information at Bargaining | College Employer Council - CEC and at Colleges – OPSEU SEFPO

For information about a strike at your college, please check your email, the college website and social media posts. You can also find information at Bargaining | College Employer Council - CEC and at Colleges – OPSEU SEFPO

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.

Not necessarily. This strike does not directly involve full-time or part-time professors and most academic employees. The striking employees work in positions or classifications such as office, clerical, technical, health care, maintenance, building service, shipping, transportation, cafeteria, security, parking, academic technologist, and nursery staff. This does include some members of the registrar’s office and student services offices, so those areas may be impacted.

For information about a strike at your college, please check your email, the college website and social media posts. 

Yes. In Ontario, other employee groups cannot legally join a strike unless they are part of the same bargaining unit. Full-time and part-time professors/instructors and academic employees (such as librarians and counsellors) as well as part-time support staff will all continue working. However, support staff provide a wide range of student services which will be impacted.

For information about a strike at your college, please check your email, the college website and social media posts.

The striking workers work in positions or classifications such as office, clerical, technical, health care, maintenance, building service, shipping, transportation, cafeteria, security, parking, academic technologist, and nursery staff. Support staff provide a wide range of student services which will be impacted. but colleges will very likely continue to operate if feasible.

For information about a strike at your college, please check your email, the college website and social media posts.

• 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.

Members of the full-time support staff union are employees who regularly work more than 24 hours per week in positions or classifications such as office, clerical, technical, health care, maintenance, building service, shipping, transportation, cafeteria, security, parking, academic technologist, and nursery staff. This includes some members of the registrar’s office and student services offices. This vote does not involve academic professors, librarians, counsellors or instructors and those classified as administrative employees or management.

• 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 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.

• In work-to-rule, employees perform only the duties that have been assigned, strictly adhering to policy and contract obligations.

• In work-to-rule, teachers continue to teach their classes and perform duties as assigned.

• No.
• Introducing terms and conditions does not affect the ability of full-time and partial-load professors and instructors to teach. Nor will it affect the way in which classes are delivered.

• Work-to-rule should not affect your classes.
• Work-to-rule means employees continue to do their job performing duties they have been assigned such as teaching and grading.

• 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 subject to pandemic restrictions.
• When picket lines occur, picketers cannot prevent access to those looking to enter campus.
• In the event of a full walk-out which includes picket lines, information will be provided by your College on how to safely access campus.

• Go to your College website for updates on the labour dispute.
• 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, or YouTube.

• The government does not get involved with College bargaining unless absolutely necessary.
• In 2017, the government legislated faculty back to work after 5 weeks of engaging in a full walk-out. The Union is currently in the process of challenging this decision.

• Colleges will inform students about the status of classes.
• Check your College website for more information.

• The duration of conciliation lasts as long as both parties are willing to meet.
• Either party can end conciliation and ask for a no board report whenever they like.
• The conciliator appointed by the Ministry of Labour will issue a no board report whenever a party requests it, or within 14 days of appointment, whichever first occurs. The parties may agree to extend or the minister order it based on the recommendation of the conciliator officer.

• A referendum by union members deciding whether or not to go on strike.  An affirmative strike vote authorizes union leadership to give strike notice. 
• This is called a strike mandate.
• A strike vote of College Employees is supervised by the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
• The vote will be decided by a 50% + 1 majority of those who cast their vote. If only a few people vote, those voters will decide this question for everyone across the province.

• 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 your college.
• Visit your College website for updates on the impacts to your semester.

• 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.
• Notice will be available on your College website.

Yes. Full-time and part-time professors and instructors as well as part-time support staff will all continue working. Staff who support a wide range of student services and supports will be impacted, but your academic year will continue as planned.

For information about a strike at your college, please check your email, the college website and social media posts.

Colleges are currently working on contingency plans in the event of a strike. Events, such as convocations, will be considered in those plans and updates will be provided to the people involved at each college, individually.

Colleges will do everything they can to minimize the impact of a strike on students. Student support services may be impacted by the strike - colleges will communicate to their college community about any impacts the strike will have on services.

For information about a strike at your college, please check your email, the college website and social media posts.

Yes, but the process may be impacted by a strike. Try to complete these tasks early if possible. Check with your college to confirm specific details.

The college will continue working to provide you with a world-class college experience. The normal rules for refunds will continue to apply during a strike.

Firstly, the colleges continue to bargain with the union in an effort to reach a renewal collective agreement. As well, colleges have been preparing contingency plans and will communicate updates to students regularly. Check your college email, the official college website, and social media channels for updates. You can also find information at Bargaining | College Employer Council - CEC and at Colleges – OPSEU SEFPO