Instructors narrowly vote in favour of college contract

Instructors at Ontario’s community colleges voted 51 per cent in favour of their employer’s contract offer.

The vote results could mean a strike at community colleges across the province, including this region’s Confederation College, has been avoided. That kind of labour dispute would affect more than 200,000 students across Ontario.

While the projected results show 51 per cent of union members favour the college’s contract offer, the final number isn’t in just yet. Ted Montgomery, head negotiator for the union, told the Canadian Press that the margin sits at about 200 votes and that there are still about 300 mail-in ballots that need to be counted.

Because of that, the Ontario Labour Relations Board will review the ballots and results may not be known for up to 10 days.

Teachers at Ontario’s 24 colleges voted Wednesday. If the number remains above 50 per cent, then instructors will have voted in favour of what the college called its final offer.

The union had been urging its members to reject the offer, and said voting it down wouldn’t necessarily lead to immediate strike action.

OPSEU had a strike date set for next Wednesday had its members rejected the offer.