Toronto – Support staff at all 24 Ontario community colleges will vote Dec. 18 on a contract offer that could avert a potential strike.
The tentative agreement includes a wage increase of 3 per cent retroactive to Sept. 1, a further 3 per cent Sept. 1, 2004, and a final .5 per cent on April 1, 2005. The contract would expire Aug. 31, 2005. It would cover about 7,000 members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.
A new appendix in the tentative agreement provides new rights for students working at the colleges over the summer, including a minimum hourly rate of $8, overtime, shift premiums and grievance rights. It makes it clear that support staff will not be laid off or see their hours reduced through hiring students.
Support staff would also attain parity with faculty for most benefits, including dental, vision and hearing care.
Support staff had been planning a strike vote for Dec. 10 to support their contract demands and to fight off management concessions. A return to the bargaining table Dec. 1 and 2 produced the tentative agreement. The bargaining team is unanimous in recommending ratification.
Bargaining team chair Marilou Martin-Benoit said the tentative settlement makes significant gains in job security, and in some areas real breakthroughs for support staff members.
Members of the support staff group provide a wide range of services at the colleges, including information technology, maintenance, technical, early childhood education, and clerical support for student loans, library, registrar’s office, accounting and other areas.
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For further information:
Katie FitzRandolph: 416-448-7440 or cell 416-788-9057 or kfitzrandolph@opseu.org
Marilou Martin-Benoit: 416-407-3193
