THUNDER BAY – Striking workers represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and Ontario Colleges are headed back to the bargaining table to re-start negotiations. OPSEU states it “Has substantially modified its demands in a bid to resume negotiations in the two-week old job action”. The bargaining team representing more than 8,000 support workers at 24 colleges across Ontario said it is prepared to make moves on the substantive issues that management has identified.
“By modifying our demands we demonstrated our commitment to the bargaining process and the students to return to contract talks,” said Rod Bemister, chair of the bargaining team for OPSEU.
“Our goal has always been to reach a negotiated settlement. We hope that OPSEU is prepared to do the same,” said Gerry Barker, Chair of the Colleges Bargaining Team.
Bemister said the provincially-appointed mediator in the dispute has been advised of the union’s new position and that he expected the mediator to deliver that message to management negotiators today. He also called for a news blackout upon the resumption of contract talks.
Contract talks could resume as early as Sept. 17.
