Ontario college work-to-rule action 'Won't affect students at this point': Union

After months of negotiations and no contract for nearly three months, the Ontario College Faculty (OCF) has voted in favour of a strike mandate.

The OCF, which represents 15,000 college professors, counsellors, librarians and instructors, voted 59 per cent in favour of pursuing job action over the weekend.

"We're looking for a discussion on the substantive issues," says Darryl Bedford, president of OPSEU Local 110, the faculty at Fanshawe College.

"Issues such as contracting out, privatization of the system. Fanshawe has signed a deal with a private college in Toronto to take our materials and use them there to make a profit."

OPSEU Local 110 President Darryl Bedford speaks on the phone in London, Ont. on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. (Brent Lale / CTV News)

The College Employer Council (CEC) says it's 'disappointed' in the results of the vote.

"I'm disappointed that the turnout was so low," says Dr. Laurie Raincourt, chair of the CEC management bargaining team.

"Since only 68 per cent of the bargaining unit voted, all we can tell for sure is that about 40 per cent of the bargaining unit has voiced their support for a strike."

Dr. Laurie Raincourt, chair of the CEC bargaining team, speaks to CTV News London via Zoom on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021.

The union says it doesn’t intend to start with a full strike, but rather “an escalating work-to-rule and labour action campaign.”

"When it comes to teaching students, we aren't going to affect that," says Bedford. "There will be administrative things, things that the administration might be looking for us to do that we might not do. That's what we'll be starting off with."

With Bill 124 in place, which caps wage increases, the union isn't bargaining for more money this time. They are seeking greater security for faculty who are on partial-load contracts.

Monday, the CEC initiated the introduction of 10 terms and conditions of its recent proposal to improve working conditions for individual employees.

Those terms can be found here.

The union isn't satisfied. "It's unfortunate that the CEC wanted to just impose terms," says Bedford.

"What people do need to understand is that is just tearing up a previously signed agreement, and saying we're going to do whatever we want."

The CEC responded by saying they haven't stopped negotiations, and that 'none of the new introductions have a negative impact.'

Both sides claim they are willing to go to the bargaining table, but it seems as though they only want to negotiate their own terms. While the union says it's willing to go to binding arbitrartion, that's something that is of no interest to the CEC.

"We're committed to continuing to do everything we can to to achieve a collective agreement," says Raincourt.

"However what we can't do is is agree to those things that would put in jeopardy the sustainability of the system or would go against any current legislation. The form of arbitration that the union has has put on the table would leave the decisions of what ends up in the collective agreement to someone outside of the system."

OPSEU faculty will be providing the required five-day notice of labour action to the CEC and can begin work-to-rule, which will begin first with the union .ocals, as of December 18.

They claim a strike is the 'last option.'

"The ball is in the union's court at this point," says Raincourt.