Ontario colleges and their faculty have reached a mediated pay settlement after Bill 124 was overturned by the courts.
In a decision released November 29, 2022, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice struck down as unconstitutional the “Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act” (Bill 124) which imposed a three-year wage suppression period that limited wage increases for almost 800,000 workers in the broader public sector to 1 per cent per year.
On Monday, the bargaining teams for Ontario College Faculty and the College Employer Council reached a mediated settlement on compensation from 2021-24, following the ruling in the courts.
"The settlement provided salary increases of 3%, 3%, and 3.5% annually, including the 1% increases that had originally been awarded under the Bill. It also provided a significant increase in paramedical benefits," says an OPSEU news release.
This settlement covers 16,000 unionized full-time and partial-load faculty who are employed at Ontario’s 24 public colleges, including Canadore in North Bay.
“This settlement is a necessary step forward for our 16,000 members following the unconstitutional constraints imposed by Bill 124, but it does not sufficiently address the erosion of our members’ wages as a result of inflation,” said Ravi Ramkissoonsingh, bargaining team Chair and professor at Niagara College. “We look forward to going back to the bargaining table again next year, when our members can engage in free and fair bargaining without legislative constraints.”
The Colleges have reported cumulative surpluses of over $2 billion since 2017, including a surplus of over $650 million this year, according to OPSEU.
“Like many employers in Ontario, the Colleges reported record profits during the pandemic, while their employees’ standard of living declined,” said OPSEU President JP Hornick. “Faculty members showed their commitment to correcting a legislative injustice throughout this bargaining process. It is the same commitment that they showed to their students and communities by providing high-quality education throughout the pandemic.”
College faculty will begin their next round of bargaining in less than one year.
