Threatened strike at Ontario colleges averted by binding arbitration agreement

TORONTO — It will be business as usual for students and staff at Ontario's colleges after a threatened strike was averted by an agreement to enter into binding arbitration.

Ontario's colleges and the union representing faculty issued a statement late Thursday night that says they reached an agreement to enter binding interest arbitration and the strike that was scheduled to commence Friday has been called off.

The statement from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and the College Employer Council added that all work-to-rule strike activities have also ended. 

Negotiators for the two sides met virtually on Thursday.

The union representing professors, instructors, librarians and counsellors had warned the colleges there would be a strike if the institutions did not agree to binding interest arbitration.

Back in January, the union had recommended its members reject the colleges' final offer, listing key issues as workload, the contracting out of faculty work, and benefits for part-time faculty.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2022.

The Canadian Press