OPSEU says support staff at Ontario colleges vote to authorize strike

The union that represents thousands of support staff at Ontario’s colleges says the workers have voted to authorize a strike.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says in a news release that members voted 77.3 per cent to authorize a strike, if necessary, to “secure respect at the bargaining table” and secure a contract the workers deserve.

It says the vote arms the bargaining team with a historic strike mandate as it heads back to the table on Wednesday for conciliation talks.

The College Employer Council, the bargaining agent for the province’s publicly funded colleges, did not immediately provide a response to the strike authorization vote when asked.

The union, which also represents faculty at Ontario colleges, said last month that close to 10,000 college faculty and staff ha