Overview

• The province-wide walkout began at 12:01 a.m. Thursday after talks failed to produce a deal before the midnight deadline.
• OPSEU says job security is the top issue, seeking protections against campus closures, mergers and staff reductions alongside wage and benefit improvements.
• The College Employer Council argues those protections are fiscally impossible, citing potential costs above $900 million, and says its offer includes 2% annual raises, higher premiums, enhanced severance and expanded benefits.
• Colleges report classes continuing with campuses open, but warn of disruptions to services such as registrars, financial aid, IT and libraries; Fanshawe outlined contingency plans and Sudbury’s Cambrian closed some satellite sites.
• Picket lines were set up at colleges across Ontario including Algonquin and La Cité in Ottawa and multiple Toronto campuses, as the sector grapples with revenue losses tied to declining international enrollment and years of constrained funding.