For Immediate Release: Monday January 13, 2025

ST. CATHARINES, ON – The support staff bargaining unit at Brock University of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) has informed the employer that it has set a strike deadline of Thursday January 16th, 12:01 AM if a deal is not reached at tomorrow’s scheduled mediation session with a Mediator appointed by the Ministry of Labour.

“After eight months of incredibly slow bargaining and an employer who is determined to erode working conditions and increase precarity, the members of the Brock University Support Staff OSSTF/FEESO bargaining unit are tired of being undervalued and shortchanged by their employer. For the first time in the history of the bargaining unit, we are going on a strike, and the bargaining team has no intention of bringing a tentative agreement to the membership that does not respect the contribution they make to this institution,” said Wanda Gilmore President of the District 35 OSSTF/FEESO Brock University Support Staff Bargaining Unit.

“This decision was not made lightly but comes after extensive negotiations that failed to address our key concerns regarding fair wages, equitable working conditions, and long-term job security for our members” added Martha Hradowy, Provincial Vice President of OSSTF/FEESO.

Over 150 employees, members of the Brock University Support Staff Bargaining Unit, are set to fully withdraw services on Thursday if a tentative deal is not reached.

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has over 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, early childhood educators, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, university support staff, and many others in education.