Ontario’s 10,000 college support staff are on strike, with a loss of more than 650 programs across their system in 2025. Staff are fighting to restore public funding for Ontario’s colleges and are rallying against what they say is a scheme to privatize education.
Here’s the timeline of how the colleges got to this point.
Sept. 9, 2025:
Humber Polytechnic emailed their students about the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) potential work stoppage with information about the strike and picket line dates. The CEC says it made an enhanced offer to the union, but said the union insisted on its “poison pill” demands that make a deal impossible. The CEC says college enrolments and revenues are down by as much as 50 per cent, and OPSEU continues to insist on what it described as fiscally impossible demands.
Sept. 10, 2025:
Support staff workers practiced picketing on Sept. 10, 2025, at around noon at Humber’s North campus parking lot 13.
“The workers united will never be defeated!” they chanted as they walked the line.
Fredy Mejia, the president of OPSEU staff for local 563, representing part-time and full-time support staff at Humber, said it is important to understand that colleges belong to the community and are about public education, but that it looks like there’s a goal to privatize the education system.
“And not too many of us see it, but the writing is on the wall. And that's why we have to fight, not only for job security, [or] for each individual that works in this institution, but to the entire college system across the province,” he said.
Mejia said the bargaining began with little response from the College Employer Council, and that the response is unacceptable.
“Instead of focusing on what we were looking for, they introduced concessions that delayed the process of bargaining, and to this minute they haven't presented, that I'm aware of, something reasonable that we could take as a way of understanding that we are bargaining in good faith,” he said.
“And that's why we are pushing it as much as we can,” Mejia said.
Sept. 10, 2025, around 4 p.m.:
OPSEU President JP Hornick said OPSEU did what it could to try to reach a deal with the College Employer Council, but it stopped negotiating around 4 p.m.
Sept 11, 2025, at 12:01 a.m.:
Union members are notified by email that the strike began at 12:01 a.m.
Humber Polytechnic emailed its students at 2:13 a.m. to inform them that all classes would run as scheduled and that both Humber and the University of Guelph-Humber would remain open.
"While we are unable to predict how long the strike may last, please know that Humber and the University of Guelph-Humber are committed to student success, and we will ensure that all students have the opportunity to achieve their learning goals in a timely manner," the college stated in its email.
They said there was no impact on work placements, with some exceptions that’d be communicated directly, but to expect delays and plan accordingly as picket lines took place at campus entrances.
Sept 11, 2025, at 7 a.m.:
Picket lines began appearing around Humber’s North and Lakeshore campuses, with buses not crossing the lines. The buses unload passengers at temporary stops on Humber College Boulevard in front of Humber’s North campus.
Sept 11, 2025, at 10 a.m.:
OPSEU president JP Hornick said in a statement that the full-time college support staff have been forced out on a strike because the CEC refused to bargain.
“With unemployment at record highs across the province, it is unconscionable that this employer would rather force workers out on strike than to bargain,” they said.
“On strike today, we are here to stop the student crisis in our Ontario Community College. We are fighting to save quality student services for everyone-the students we serve today, but also the students of the future,” Hornick said.
They said CEC will not fight for the students, workers or the communities the colleges serve, but that the college support staff is willing to do so.
Hornick said it’s been 14 years since the college support staff had a picket line.
“This fight touches all of us. We are the college community, support staff, faculty, students, and allies together. Because without us, you cut the heart out of education, and that's what's been happening since the beginning of the year,” they said.
Hornick said colleges shed 10,000 jobs, while more than 650 programs were cancelled.
"We deserve a properly funded public college system, and our support staff deserve respect, job security, and decent working conditions. These are the things that should be afforded every worker in this province, and these are the things that the Ford government has abdicated their responsibility for," Hornick said.
"This is the fight of our lifetime. If we don't come together to stop the sell-off now, we're going to see the end of public post-secondary education in Ontario," they said.
Hornick said history shows that when ordinary people stand up, they can make incredible change happen.
Milos Vasic, president of Humber faculty union Local 562 and a professor in Liberal studies at Humber, said he was threatened with being fired for supporting the strike, as his bargaining unit is not on strike.
Vasic said that CEC and senior administration at all colleges are scared of the solidarity between faculty and support staff.
"The intimidation and threats that we've seen out of the College Employer Council coming down through the college presidents against union activists are unprecedented," Hornick said.
Sept 11, 2025, at 5:33 p.m.:
Humber Polytechnic emailed their students regarding the continuation of the strike and the protocols for approaching and crossing the picket lines.
"Please remember, these are our colleagues, people who support us every day and help students succeed at Humber. Please be kind, empathetic and patient," Humber said through an email at 5:33 p.m.
Sept. 15, 2025
TTC Buses are refusing to stop inside the college bus terminals to support the union of the college’s support staff, so they’ve been stopping at temporary bus stops around the campus at Humber College Blvd.
The drivers have refused to cross the picketing line and are only using the loop once protesters are done for the day.
Humber Polytechnic emailed its students on Monday at 10:55 a.m. to warn them about the event.
“While we understand the rush to catch your ride, please do not run on or into the road - your safety is far more important. Be alert, cross at designated crosswalks and always take a moment to look out for traffic,” they said.
“Whether driving, biking or walking to campus, please also familiarize yourself with the Picket Line Guidelines for tips on safely entering and exiting all Humber campuses during the strike. It is important that both those trying to enter campus and those on the picket lines show mutual respect and ensure safety first in all interactions,” Humber Polytechnic said.
Sept. 17, 2025:
The strike is still going with support staff marching around Humber’s North Campus bus entrances and intersections, where strikers are stopping cars and people walking by to explain their cause.
John-David Kato, also known as JD, Humber’s Fitness Laboratory Technologist, said he hopes things get resolved and that an agreement is made so they can get back to work.
Kato said he feels pretty good about the strike as there are still a lot of people supporting it, but that “it's been a week, and you know, no one wants it to drag on too long.”
Usman Malik, a Humber librarian technician, said the support staff are responsible for the technical services as they catalogue the materials and help with course reserves, so professors have the course materials they need to give to students for them to progress through the term.
“It's hard not to know about the support staff strike because it's impacting all of us, even though we're not on strike, the loss of our colleagues is really impacting the system; it's affecting the quality of education that students are receiving in a very negative way, so I want to come out here to support,” he said.
Malik explained how important support staff are as they also help with counselling and career advising, and that the strike is an existential fight for the future of education that is both accessible and affordable.
“Right now, colleges are being systematically defunded by the provincial government, and what's happening is that money that is meant for the college system is being siphoned into these privatized education schemes, which shortchange students,” he said.
“In essence, Ford is enriching his rich buddies, these private companies, to offer their own education schemes instead of the quality education that we come to expect from the college system,” Malik said.
He said the support staff are there to tell the public of what is happening so they can reverse the course and restore funding to the public college system.
Joseph Italiano, an advisor from the University of Guelph-Humber, said they wanted to get back to their jobs and be able to be there for the students, as they put their heart into education and genuinely care about the students.
“We want to be back in our offices as soon as possible so that way we can provide the support that our students rightfully deserve and need,” Italiano said.
“Our expectation is just to provide a peaceful strike. We want to educate everyone who comes by, whether they're students, supporters, families, or administrative staff, just to let them know the reason behind why we are here striking, and our hope for this weekend is that both parties can come to the table and come to an agreement,” he said.
Italiano said they want to come back to work with a fair contract that’s right for both students and staff.
“I would love for anyone to be able to go to saveourcolleges.ca and join us in our fight to ensure that our support services are saved and that our colleges are preserved to what they are known to be. Places where students could learn, make friends and have the support that they deserve and need,” he said.
Sept. 21, 2025
Humber sent an email to students regarding the strike and picket lines, as the week has several rainy days, and drivers must pay extra attention to pedestrians.
“We want to emphasize that everyone's safety, striking staff, students and visitors, is our top priority. The current environment has created situations where individuals feel unsafe, and this is unacceptable,” they said.
The email emphasized that no one should feel threatened or unsafe when passing by picket lines, as no one should be harmed and no one should engage in aggressive or confrontational behaviour.
“We urge all parties to exercise restraint, respect and care. The right to strike and picket is protected, but it must be exercised within the bounds of the law and with a commitment to safety,” Humber said.
They also emphasized the legal rights and limitations of picketing in Ontario.
The email mentioned that picketers are not allowed to use the school’s washrooms and that they attempted to negotiate a protocol with the Union to secure a trailer space and portable washrooms, but the Union declined.
“We respect the right to strike and picket within the bounds of the law. We ask all parties to exercise their rights responsibly and ensure the safety and dignity of everyone involved,” Humber said.
Sept. 22, 2025
The CEO of College Employer Council (CEC), Graham Lloyd, urged OPSEU to remove four demands that were preventing a negotiated agreement for the full-time support strike.
The demands included a guarantee of three years of no staff reductions, and no college or campus mergers and closures, a prohibition of contracting out any services, and the prohibition of managers and faculty from doing simple tasks, such as turning off the lights and checking for water leaks.
“We’ve urged them on a number of occasions to proceed. There’s an easy way to get employees back in the buildings and certainly ensure there be no disruption in students’ learning. And that is: they have four demands that we really can’t ever agree to. If they can’t drop those… let’s proceed to mediation,” Lloyd said.
“Let’s at least go to mediation and arbitration to ensure that there’s certainty for students and employees,” he said.
Sept. 24, 2025
The CEC agreed to meet with OPSEU with a mediator on Sept. 26, 2025.
“We hope, with the assistance of a government mediator, we will be able to secure a fair deal that balances the needs of employees, students, and the long-term sustainability of the college system,” Lloyd said.
Sept. 26, 2025
Negotiations were expected to resume today with assistance from a provincially assigned mediator. Meanwhile, the union announced a vote to give the bargaining team for the part-time support staff workers a mandate to strike is set to begin Oct. 12.
