Members of the union representing faculty at Ontario’s 24 public colleges have voted to authorize a strike mandate.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) said 79 per cent of those who participated in the vote supported a strike mandate, with 76 per cent of members casting a ballot. According to the union, this represents the largest College Faculty strike mandate vote “in a generation.”

“It never feels good to contemplate a strike,” said OPSEU 110 President, Mark Feltham. “That said, the vote result shows that our members are committed to our bargaining team and our positions. We hope that the CEC sees it the same way.”

The key issues on the bargaining table for OPSEU include workload and job precarity. OPSEU represents roughly 15,000 professors, instructors, librarians and counsellors.

OPSEU said it remains hopeful a contract can be negotiated with the College Employer Council (CEC).

“We remain focused on a fair, negotiated settlement that does not sacrifice our hard-fought rights, and which achieves real gains to our wages and working conditions,” the union said in a statement released Oct. 18.

The CEC said it has offered to engage in mediation-interest arbitration and that any kind of strike is “unnecessary.”

“The Colleges do not want students and employees to be negatively impacted because of the unwillingness of the CAAT-A bargaining team to settle negotiations at the table,” said Graham Lloyd, CEO of CEC in a statement. “Mediation followed by interest arbitration provides a win-win solution for both parties and, most importantly, the students.”

Feltham said he hopes it does not come to that.

“It takes two sides to bargain,” Feltham said. “Mediation/arbitration is certainly a tool available to settle bargaining disputes, but we very much prefer to settle things at the table, and now that our members have demonstrated their commitment to the process, we’re hopeful things will move forward.”

The union echoed these concerns, stating that binding interest arbitration at this point would be the “easiest way” for the CEC to achieve its agenda.

Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) President, Siddharth Singh sent a message to students, stating that their “academic journey and well-being remain our top priority.”

“While we understand that discussions between the faculty and the college are ongoing, we hope for a swift and positive resolution for all parties,” Singh said. “However, if a strike does occur, please know that we are committed to advocating for students’ interests and will work closely with the college to minimize any disruptions to your education.”

Feltham added that the union’s demands would improve the learning experiences of students overall.

“Education has changed massively; email, online classes, video lectures, AI, and various other developments have changed our work, and we want our employer to recognize that we need more time to navigate these complexities,” Feltham said. “We’ve also seen greatly increased work for counsellors and an erosion of librarian positions across our system. Improvements in all of these areas equal better learning conditions for our students.”

According to the CEC, the union’s demands would increase college costs by almost $1 billion annually. OPSEU, meanwhile, noted that Ont. colleges saw an accumulated surplus of $1 billion over the past year, arguing “there’s enough money to prioritize quality education, while responsibly navigating any uncertainty.”

Feltham reiterated that the union does not want a strike, but hopes the vote demonstrates its commitment to its demands.

“Now that our members have shown that they’re firmly behind our team, we hope that they’ll see the light and bargain in good faith,” Feltham said.

The union’s contract expired on Oct. 1, and the parties have since held two days of conciliation talks.