Part-time Support Staff: Your Vote Matters

• Make sure to vote. Don’t let others decide for you
• If you don’t want a strike, you must vote NO
• Strike votes lead to strikes 

Part-time college support staff (part-time employees and part-time student employees) are preparing for a strike vote from October 14–17, 2025. It is important to have a clear understanding of what’s on the table and what’s at stake.

For more than 18 months, in an effort to reach a renewal collective agreement, the CEC agreed to breakthrough provisions for part-time staff, which include issues such as paid sick leave days, increased vacation pay, and pay for cancelled shifts.

What colleges have offered

• Wage increases of 2% per year for all bargaining unit employees
• 6% vacation pay for all employees
• Two paid sick days per year for permanent regular part-time employees
• No loss of pay for permanent regular part-time employees whose shifts are cancelled within 24 hours
• Stronger protections in cases of workplace sexual harassment
• Internal applicant status for permanent regular part-time staff applying to full-time roles

These proposals reflect the colleges’ commitment to fairness while recognizing the financial realities facing the post-secondary sector.

What the union is demanding

• A 6% annual wage increase and an additional 2% in vacation pay
• Unlimited paid time off for religious and cultural reasons
• Five paid sick days a year for all part-time employees
• A contract that would expire in March 2026, requiring new negotiations to begin in just a few months

These demands go beyond what colleges are prepared to accept in the current financial climate.

Next Steps

• Since September 2024, colleges have pressed for mediation to resolve the outstanding issues. Mediation is the best method to resolve the outstanding issues. A mediation date has been scheduled for December 12, 2025.
• On June 11, 2025, a formal agreement was reached that, if mediation was not successful, a strike could occur 16 days afterwards.
• A strike is unnecessary.
• Voting NO allows you to keep working while negotiations continue. 

Once the union has its strike vote, they don’t need to ask you again if you should actually go on strike. Strike votes mean strikes.

A Call for Thoughtful Consideration

Colleges value the essential contributions of part-time support staff and remain committed to reaching a fair agreement without disruption. The current offer includes meaningful gains, without the uncertainty and hardship that a strike could bring. 

If you don’t want to strike, you must vote NO. Don’t let other people decide for you.