As Ontario’s publicly funded colleges inch toward a midnight strike deadline, the looming walkout of 10,000 support staff is more than a labour dispute it’s a warning flare for the entire post-secondary system.
For months, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has been pressing the College Employer Council for a contract that offers job security. Their demand isn’t radical: they want assurance that the people who keep campuses running admissions officers, IT technicians, library staff, student-services workers won’t be discarded like spare parts when enrolment dips.
The Council’s response has been to shrug and point to declining international enrolment and revenue shortfalls, arguing that no employer can promise stability in such an unpredictable climate. But that reasoning only underscores the deeper problem: a funding model that leans far too heavily on international tuition dollars to subsidize core operations. When global student numbers drop, staff become the first casualty.
Yes, OPSEU’s push to prevent campus closures or mergers may sound ambitious in an era of fiscal belt-tightening. But it’s also a plea for long-term planning. If colleges are forced to shutter programs and slash services every time international markets shift, the very quality of education and the future of Ontario’s workforce will erode.
The Council calls the union’s demands “out of touch.” I’d argue it’s out of touch to treat education like a seasonal business. Stability isn’t a luxury for colleges; it’s the foundation that allows students to learn and communities to thrive.
Whether a deal is struck before midnight or picket lines form tomorrow, this standoff reveals a truth the province can’t ignore: Ontario’s college system is unsustainable when staff job security hinges on unpredictable enrolment trends. The government and college leadership need to confront that reality, not just for this bargaining round, but for the generations of students and workers who depend on a stable, well-supported system.
