On September 11, 23,000 support staff employed at all 24 Ontario public colleges — including IT workers, food suppliers, and custodians, among others — went on a province-wide strike against the College Employer Council (CEC). These support staff members are represented by the Ontario Public Service Employee Union (OPSEU) for college workers, while the CEC is a provincially mandated organization that acts as a bargaining agent for all of Ontario’s colleges.

Job security is a major factor behind the strike. Government cuts to college funding have led to the loss of nearly 10,000 jobs, including positions in student service and financial aid offices. Part-time employees were also working on expired contracts while earning minimum wage. OPSEU engaged in 21 days of negotiations with the CEC over these concerns, but was unable to reach an agreement, resulting in the strike.

Decreased funding at Ontario colleges 

Ontario has the lowest post-secondary funding per student of all Canadian provinces. In 2024, Doug Ford’s government cut $400 million from the post-secondary education budget. 

Recent legislation capping the number of international students accepted at post-secondary institutions is also affecting college finances. Between September 2023 and September 2024, 23 of 24 institutions saw a 48 per cent decrease in international student enrolment. 

Low levels of provincial funding have forced colleges to rely more on international student tuition, which is, on average, 5.3 times higher than domestic tuition for undergraduates and 2.9 times higher at the graduate level. Because international tuition makes up a significant portion of total revenue, caps on international student acceptance directly limit institutional funding. 

The effects of funding cuts

Lack of funding has led to the cancellation or suspension of at least 600 college programs, contributing to widespread job losses among college employees. OPSEU president JP Hornick said in a conference that 1.5 million Ontarians have experienced a campus closure in their community. 

One key program affected is Confederation College’s Culinary Management program in Thunder Bay, the only one of its kind in a 1,000-kilometre radius. The program has played a role in combating food insecurity in the region. 

A study from the US-based State Higher Education Executive Officers Association found that students who experience a campus shutdown are 71.3 per cent less likely to reenroll and 50.1 per cent less likely to earn any qualifications or credentials compared to students who have not witnessed such closures.

Technology is also contributing to job losses. Some positions at Ontario colleges are being replaced by automated services. At St. Lawrence College in Cornwall, over 100 staff positions have been cut in the past year, with library coordinators replaced by book vending machines.

What comes next?

The CEC has called two of OPSEU’s demands unreasonable: a prohibition of campus closures or mergers during the lifetime of the agreement, and a ban on staff reduction.

Graham Lloyd, the CEO of the CEC, said in a statement, “OPSEU is ignoring the reality that college enrolment and revenues are down as much as 50 per cent. No organization managing a drop like this can commit to these out-of-touch demands.”

However, OPSEU points out that taxpayer dollars are being redirected to non-college training programs. Since 2020, the Ford government has committed $2.5 billion into the Skills Development Fund to support such programs, with OPSEU reporting that much of the funding is going to privatized post-secondary education.

Negotiations between both parties have been at a standstill for more than a week. As of now, no new talks have been scheduled. Workers remain on the picket lines to protect their job security, but the strike is also causing program cancellation — George Brown College, for example, cancelled full-day programs at its child-care centres due to educators and assistants participating in the strike. 

Until an agreement is reached, both students and staff remain caught in the crossfire of Ontario’s post-secondary funding crisis.