College support staff strike averted

A tentative agreement reached on Sunday has averted a possible province-wide strike by college support staff.
As members of OPSEU, college support staff have been negotiating with colleges for several months over such things as job security, benefits and yearly rates for wage increases.
Earlier in the summer, they voted to reject an offer and gave their bargaining team a strike mandate if an agreement could not be reached by the time their collective agreement expired at midnight on Aug. 31.
Union officials say the agreement includes historic language concerning workplace bullying, harassment and staff wellness. An average raise of 3.86 percent raise will occur in the first year, followed by a three percent raise in both the second and third year of the agreement.
Some 6,500 people employed at 24 Ontario Community Colleges are considered support workers, filling a range of positions from as IT support to custodial staff. Currently, there are four support staff workers at Confederation College’s campus in Fort Frances.
“Students are relieved to be greeted by college support staff workers inside the college in frontline services rather then on the picket line,” said president of the College Student Alliance, Jenn Howarth, in a release.
“Students will now be able to access essential services and move about campuses with ease, knowing that all staff—administration, faculty and support staff—are there to assist them.”
A ratification vote conducted by the Ministry of Labour still needs to be held in the future, and terms of the official agreement have yet to be released.