News

Published October 2, 2025

Classes cancelled at two Ontario college campuses amid support workers' strike

By Maan Alhmidi
Classes cancelled at two Ontario college campuses amid support workers' strike
College support staff picket outside George Brown College's St. James Campus in Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

Two Ontario colleges say they had to cancel some of their classes and on-campus activities today as striking support staff joined rallies at several colleges across the province. 

Mohawk College says classes and activities are cancelled for the day at its Fennell campus in Hamilton and employees are working from home, while its other campuses remain open.

St. Clair College says classes at its south Windsor campus are also cancelled "out of an abundance of caution and safety."

Meanwhile, Algonquin College has warned that road access to its Ottawa campus may be blocked or delayed due to support staff picketing.

🎧   Local news stories that matter most to you
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts to get notified of new episodes every day.

The 10,000 full-time college support staff, represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, have been on strike since Sept. 11 and are demanding better wages, benefits, and job security.

The union said earlier this week that talks broke down after the employer and college presidents "declared an impasse" over job security language.

OPSEU says job security remains a critical concern amid campus closures and layoffs in the college sector.

The College Employer Council, which represents Ontario's 24 publicly funded colleges, said this week it was frustrated after the union's bargaining team "abruptly reversed course during mediation talks, derailing progress."

The council said it offered improvements to wages, on-call pay and bereavement leave, among other things. 

Colleges in Ontario have been increasingly relying on tuition from international students for several years due to low levels of provincial government funding and a years-long tuition freeze, and have been struggling since the federal government enacted a lower cap on international students.

The College Employer Council has stated that the union's demands would expose colleges to more than $900 million in additional costs, although the union disputes that figure.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2025.

What do you think of this article?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Have a breaking story?

Share it with us!
Share Your Story

What Barrie's talking about!

From breaking news to the best slice of pizza in town! Get everything Barrie’s talking about delivered right to your inbox every day. Don’t worry, we won’t spam you. We promise :)
Subscription Form
Consent Info

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Central Ontario Broadcasting, 431 Huronia Rd, Barrie, Ontario, CA, https://www.cobroadcasting.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

Related Stories

Advertisement
Advertisement