OPSEU files application to represent contract faculty at Ontario colleges

Union working to represent part-time support workers

OPSEU files application to represent contract faculty at Ontario colleges
OPSEU represents more than 20,000 faculty and support staff at Ontario's 24 colleges of applied arts and technology. SHUTTERSTOCK

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has filed an application to represent contract faculty at Ontario's 24 public colleges, delivering thousands of cards to the Ontario Labour Relations Board on March 30.

These workers "have been seen as cheap labour by college presidents for far too long,” said Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU president .

"We've reached the point where 70 per cent of those teaching are underpaid contract faculty with no job security," said RM Kennedy, chair of OPSEU's college academic division.

OPSEU — which currently represents more than 20,000 faculty and support staff at Ontario's 24 colleges of applied arts and technology — also has an application underway to represent part-time college support workers. These workers cast ballots last June and are waiting to have their votes counted, according to the union.

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