Full-time support staff at Durham College (DC) have wrapped up their first day on the picket line, in a fight for what they deem fair wages, job security, and protection against campus closures.
The work stoppage comes after contract negotiations between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and the College Employer Council (CEC) broke down.
The strike affects approximately 380 full-time support staff at DC, including those in administrative, technical, and facilities roles. Classes and academic programming are expected to continue as scheduled.
Cassandra Wallace, who works in Enrolment Services, said students should expect significant delays.
“Things are going to be slow, things are going to be delayed,” Wallace said. “Emails are not being checked. The phone lines are going to be super busy with more than hour-long waits. It’s chaos the longer we’re out here.”
Wallace said the strike is not only about immediate services but about the long-term sustainability of the public college system.
“We are not here fighting for monetary value. We are not here to fight the college themselves. We are here because we are fighting the government, which is underfunding the public sector,” she said.
Casandra Whyte, administrative coordinator for the Professional and Part-Time Learning department, highlighted the behind-the-scenes work staff provide.
“I handle payroll, sending out and receiving contracts…coordinating invoicing, so pretty much, in our department, if a student calls in and needs anything, that’s who they’re talking to,” she said. “The managers are trying to cover as best as they can.”
Whyte also described the personal stakes for staff.
“It’s basically about job security,” she said. “Some of the people out here today are making more on strike for 20 hours a week than they would make at 35 hours a week at their regular pay, which is crazy.”
Brandon Carson, president of OPSEU Local 353 representing Durham College support staff, said the strike will run in three shifts from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with entrances staggered for safety.
“If at any point we do not have enough people to picket safely, we would shut down certain entrances first,” Carson said. “We have shifts over by the Simcoe Residence, Student Services Building, Conlin, and the Whitby campus.”
Durham College has advised students to plan for slower service in areas such as financial aid, registration and technical support, as well as possible delays to public transit.
Staff are also receiving support from colleagues at other Ontario colleges. Jason Hrynkiw, a student recruitment officer from Seneca Polytechnic, said the solidarity reflects the broader struggle for public post-secondary education.
“We’re all in this together,” Hrynkiw said. “It’s not about the location. It’s about joining together as a large group and showing that we’re serious.”
Faculty union president Phil Raby said the strike signals a wider concern for Ontario’s college system.
“Everybody’s concerned about the potential impact on students, but we’re also deeply concerned about the state of the college system in general,” he said.
The CEC, which represents the public colleges, has proposed in writing that the union withdraw two of its demands.
One calls for a complete ban on college or campus mergers or closures during the life of the agreement. The other calls for a total prohibition on staff reductions.
“There remain many issues to address at the bargaining table,” said CEO Graham Lloyd. “These are demands no college operating in Ontario could ever accept.”
Durham College administration has maintained that the campus remains open, and faculty and part-time staff are not in a legal strike position.
Contingency plans are in place to partially cover the absence of full-time support staff.
A complete list of service impacts and updates is available on Durham College’s Full-Time Support Staff Bargaining website.