Although Mohawk’s campuses remain open and faculty continue teaching, some services have been disrupted, labs impacted, and classes cancelled—especially at the Fennell campus—while large picket rallies have added traffic delays and campus access challenges.
Can you describe the key issues at the heart of this strike and explain why they are significant? How do these issues affect Hamiltonians, and why should they support your position?
The key issue this round of negotiations is job security. Mohawk College cut hundreds of jobs in January of this year, leaving departments understaffed and increasing workloads and burnout in employees across the College.
Mohawk is a major employer in Hamilton with thousands of employees. When good jobs are eliminated in a community, the overall average income and employment stability decrease. Access to programs that brought our marginalized neighbours into college educations have been eliminated as a result. Most employees at Mohawk are alumni of an Ontario college. It is deeply important to us that stable jobs and the system as a whole continues to exist, so future grads and Hamiltonians can one day find careers in a system that is incredibly successful at training and skilling-up the workers Ontario needs for a strong economy.
2. Of the issues you have identified, which do you believe will be the most difficult to resolve, and what makes it particularly complex or contentious?
From our perspective, the matter of job security is the most difficult to resolve due to the employers unwillingness to discuss them. The union is seeking 1) no contracting out of support staff work, and 2) stopping managers from performing support staff work.
The second point is a very regular feature in many collective bargaining agreements. Our bargaining team has made numerous proposals to offer language and parameters on both points, but the employer has not accepted any of them or attempted to reach common ground with the union.
3. Some classes have been cancelled as a result of strike activity. What would you say to students who have been negatively affected by these disruptions?
None of this had to happen. The 24 colleges and their presidents, represented by the College Employer Council (CEC), have repeatedly failed to negotiate with College workers in good faith. The CEC has left our part-time support staff co-workers without a collective agreement for 19 months and is also refusing to meet with their bargaining team. Our bargaining team and the mediator seized to our negotiations by the Ministry of Labour are waiting for them to return to the table, but instead they talk to the media instead of returning to the table to make progress.
4. While job security and contracting out are long-standing themes in labour relations, the rise of Artificial Intelligence introduces new challenges. How does AI factor into this dispute, and in what ways does it affect the interests of your members? What solutions or safeguards do you believe are necessary?
I would defer to our bargaining team for their current discussions at the negotiation table regarding AI.
From a worker's perspective, the risk of AI replacing our jobs and removing the human touch from education and our work is one we must always be vigilant of.
Our demands for job security is not shocking or new. It is a right every worker should have. The jobs we have today can and must be here for our students to succeed us tomorrow. Stable employment and fair compensation strengthen the community and local economy.
The Presidents of each of the 24 colleges has their hand on the wheel of negotiations. They direct the College Employer Council on what to do at the bargaining table. Students' support and their messages getting to Paul Armstrong, Mohawk's president, loud and clear is key to bringing this to an end.
The Hamiltonian has reached out to both sides of the dispute to get their views on the issues. Here is our interview with President of Local 241, Susan Lau.
The key issue this round of negotiations is job security. Mohawk College cut hundreds of jobs in January of this year, leaving departments understaffed and increasing workloads and burnout in employees across the College.
Mohawk is a major employer in Hamilton with thousands of employees. When good jobs are eliminated in a community, the overall average income and employment stability decrease. Access to programs that brought our marginalized neighbours into college educations have been eliminated as a result. Most employees at Mohawk are alumni of an Ontario college. It is deeply important to us that stable jobs and the system as a whole continues to exist, so future grads and Hamiltonians can one day find careers in a system that is incredibly successful at training and skilling-up the workers Ontario needs for a strong economy.
2. Of the issues you have identified, which do you believe will be the most difficult to resolve, and what makes it particularly complex or contentious?
From our perspective, the matter of job security is the most difficult to resolve due to the employers unwillingness to discuss them. The union is seeking 1) no contracting out of support staff work, and 2) stopping managers from performing support staff work.
The second point is a very regular feature in many collective bargaining agreements. Our bargaining team has made numerous proposals to offer language and parameters on both points, but the employer has not accepted any of them or attempted to reach common ground with the union.
3. Some classes have been cancelled as a result of strike activity. What would you say to students who have been negatively affected by these disruptions?
None of this had to happen. The 24 colleges and their presidents, represented by the College Employer Council (CEC), have repeatedly failed to negotiate with College workers in good faith. The CEC has left our part-time support staff co-workers without a collective agreement for 19 months and is also refusing to meet with their bargaining team. Our bargaining team and the mediator seized to our negotiations by the Ministry of Labour are waiting for them to return to the table, but instead they talk to the media instead of returning to the table to make progress.
4. While job security and contracting out are long-standing themes in labour relations, the rise of Artificial Intelligence introduces new challenges. How does AI factor into this dispute, and in what ways does it affect the interests of your members? What solutions or safeguards do you believe are necessary?
I would defer to our bargaining team for their current discussions at the negotiation table regarding AI.
From a worker's perspective, the risk of AI replacing our jobs and removing the human touch from education and our work is one we must always be vigilant of.
Student success is built on relationships and the care and empathy that Support Staff have for every student they support. It is the front-line workers who are truly dedicated to the best possible outcomes for students across the province.
5. Is there anything else you would like Hamiltonians to understand about your position or the broader context of this strike?
5. Is there anything else you would like Hamiltonians to understand about your position or the broader context of this strike?
Our demands for job security is not shocking or new. It is a right every worker should have. The jobs we have today can and must be here for our students to succeed us tomorrow. Stable employment and fair compensation strengthen the community and local economy.
The Presidents of each of the 24 colleges has their hand on the wheel of negotiations. They direct the College Employer Council on what to do at the bargaining table. Students' support and their messages getting to Paul Armstrong, Mohawk's president, loud and clear is key to bringing this to an end.
With the ongoing strike drawing attention from all sides, we are doing our best to allow both parties to share updates and perspectives to keep the public informed. Additional information has been provided by Susan Lau, President of OPSEU Local 241, and this article has been updated accordingly to include her latest statements and clarifications. Ms. Lau adds:
An anonymous source leaked ten final "efficiency review" reports to our bargaining team. Recommendations include staffing reductions, outsourcing, automation, and mergers/consolidations.
As far as we know, the college system received $15 million to conduct the audits aimed at finding "savings through greater efficiencies."
I believe researchers at OPSEU/SEFPO are combing through them in greater detail, over 1000 pages in total. Mohawk's efficiency review by Strategy Corp isn't due to be completed until November/December.
(Note: Ms. Lau has provided The Hamiltonian with evidence of these claims.)
As always, The Hamiltonian remains neutral in this coverage. We have also reached out to Mohawk College to get their perspectives. We will publish their views once they become available.
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