College workers set July 14 strike vote

Ontario Public Service Employees Union
News Release

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TORONTO - Members of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Support Staff (CAAT-S) have set a strike vote for July 14, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union announced today.

"Working people must defend good jobs today to ensure that we have good jobs in place for future generations," said Rod Bemister, chair of the OPSEU bargaining team on behalf of more than 8,000 staff members working at 24 colleges in the province.

"It seems clear to us that from the time we sat down at the bargaining table with college management on June 7 there has been almost no interest from their side to engage in serious negotiations.

"This is a wake up call to management," added Bemister.

"Roll up your sleeves and get down to the serious business of reaching a contract settlement. We came to the table prepared to do so; now it's time that the colleges exhibited the same determination."

The July 14 strike vote does not mean a walkout by college support workers represented by OPSEU.

A majority vote in favour of a strike mandate would authorize a walkout only when the bargaining team determines a contract settlement cannot be reached at the negotiation table.

"We do not want to settle this contract on the picket line, but we are prepared to step in that direction if the colleges refuse to negotiate those issues that our members have identified as being most important to them," said Bemister.

Details on the strike vote will be released shortly.

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