The unions representing faculty and support staff at Fleming College and St. Lawrence College say the decision to merge the two colleges blindsided workers and is the result of the province's failure to properly invest in post-secondary education.
Marcia Steeves, president of OPSEU Local 351, representing Fleming College support staff, says unions at both colleges were left in the dark about the merger and that government officials and college presidents had "sidelined" questions about the future of the institutions.
Dayna Smockum, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, says the OPSEU is "misguided" and that the decision by the colleges to merge was made independently to better fulfil education mandates.
Fleming College and St. Lawrence College announced they were merging on Friday, saying the consolidation should help expand access, better align programs with regional labour market needs, and improve long-term financial sustainability.
The colleges say the new school will be run by a single management team, and no changes to programs, campuses, services, student supports or local brands are planned.
Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton, while St. Lawrence College has campuses in Kingston, Brockville, and Cornwall.
Newly elected OPSEU president JP Hornick says the union has been warning that college closures and mergers were on the horizon on the back of years of underfunding.
“When it comes to corporate bailouts, luxury spas, or speeding up alcohol privatization, there's billions in public dollars to subsidize private interests. But when it comes to our public colleges, something we universally benefit from, (Premier Doug) Ford always comes up dry," he says.
Smockum meanwhile pointed to the government's recent multibillion-dollar funding boost for colleges and universities, saying government funding for post-secondary institutions is "higher than it's ever been."
In February, Ontario announced $6.4 billion in funding over four years for colleges and universities, while also lifting a seven-year tuition fee freeze in order to address severe financial strain.
Ontario universities and colleges have long faced low levels of government funding, stagnant tuition levels since 2019 and sharply reduced numbers of international students, who are charged far higher tuition fees than domestic students.
Colleges have said that the federal government's move to drastically reduce international student levels will remove up to $4.2 billion in revenue by 2027-28.
They have already cut $1.4 billion in costs, suspended more than 600 programs and eliminated more than 8,000 staff positions in a bid to save money.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2026.
