Academic Bargaining 2021/2022

We are pleased to inform you that faculty will NOT be striking as of Friday, March 18, 2022.

Both the CEC and OPSEU bargaining teams met with a Ministry of Labour mediator on Thursday, March 17 and have agreed to enter into binding interest arbitration regarding both parties’ outstanding issues.

Not only does this mean that the scheduled March 18 strike has been called off, but it also means that work-to-rule has ended; professors, instructors, librarians, and counsellors remain on the job and all classes and services will continue as normal.

On March 16, 2022, both College Employer (CEC) and Faculty (OPSEU) bargaining teams have agreed to return to the table on Thursday, March 17, 2022. This is the first time both sides have agreed to negotiate since talks broke down in late November 2021.

Today, 20 Student Associations from across Ontario, including CCSAI, continue to urge the College Employer’s Council and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union to continue to resume bargaining immediately to avert a strike as of March 18, 2022. We also made note that the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Ontario government must intervene to solve this impasse so that over 240,000 post-secondary students In Ontario will not be adversely affected as they complete their semester.

Click here to view the letter sent to the Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, and the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton.

What Could Happen Next?

Although we do not know what will happen until the College Employer (CEC) and Faculty (OPSEU) return to the table, there are two possibilities:

1. The College Employer (CEC) and Faculty (OPSEU) could come to an agreement before Friday, March 18. This could avert strike action or spark a vote from all Faculty (OPSEU) on the proposed offer.  
2. The two parties meet for negotiation but do not reach a collective agreement before Friday, March 18, and a strike begins across the 24 Ontario colleges.

The bargaining between the CEC and the union (OPSEU) representing CAAT-A Academic Staff (Faculty, Counsellors, and Librarians) has reached a standstill. With both parties unable to reach an agreement thus far, CCSAI and 14 Ontario College Student Association have come together to advocate for the needs of students. 

The halt in negotiations has left the education of more than 240,000 students across 24 Ontario colleges in a concerning state of uncertainty. CCSAI and other Ontario Student Associations sent this letter to the CEC and the union representing the CAAT-A Academic Staff. While we remain neutral in the ongoing negotiations, we are advocating for both parties to consider the impact that further job action could have on students.  

Check out the letter Ontario student associations sent to the CEC & OPSEU. 

Here are the responses of both parties:  

• OPSEU Response to CCSAI & other Ontario Student Associations 
• CEC Response to CCSAI & other Ontario Student Associations

What Could Happen Next?

The union (OPSEU) has set a walk-out strike date of Friday, March 18, 2022. Should an agreement not be reached by this date all Academic Staff will go on strike. 

Students are encouraged to look for communication from their faculty about their course delivery method and how grades will be shared with them for the remainder of the semester.  

The bargaining process between the College Employer Council (CEC) and the union representing CAAT-A Academic Staff (Faculty, Counsellors, and Librarians), known as Ontario Public Service Employee Union (OPSEU), began early July 2021.  

Over several months, negotiations between both sides have been ongoing, and both sides have exchanged proposals they felt would improve the Collective Agreement. Throughout the negotiation process, both sides have been providing updates of how the process has gone and accused each other of not bargaining in good faith. 

This January, the CAAT-A members began Phase 2 of their Work-to-Rule campaign (Click here for information on Phase 2 Work-to-Rule). The CEC has put forward a final offer to CAAT-A members. The Final Offer Vote for CAAT-A Faculty was be held on February 15-17. 

The CAAT-A members voted on the final offer, and 62% voted to reject the final offer from the CEC. Both parties will continue to negotiate.  

Please note that all bargaining and all directives for work actions are done at a provincial level. The current concerns being raised by parties to the negotiation are not necessarily those of Centennial College nor those of Centennial College Academic Faculty – the parties represent all colleges across Ontario. 

What Could Happen Next?

The CAAT-A members voted on the final offer and 62% voted to reject the final offer from the CEC.  

The Colleges (all 24 public Ontario colleges) will continue to operate until an agreement is reached or OPSEU decides to escalate beyond work-to-rule.