Provincial Union President Visits Thunder Bay to Discuss Elections
THUNDER BAY — JP Hornick, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), visited Thunder Bay this week to discuss the upcoming provincial election and the challenges facing workers at Confederation College.
“Nearby, we have dozens of OPSEU activists gathered to talk about leadership and how to influence the upcoming election,” said Hornick.
“We’ve seen workers across the province begin to organize in response to a snap election. Our members are highly engaged in this process, working together to drive the change we need in Ontario.”
OPSEU represents 7,329 workers in the region, and Hornick noted that affordability concerns are top of mind for many members.
“People are struggling to afford housing, pay their mortgages and rent. Grocery prices have skyrocketed. One in five children in Ontario is experiencing food insecurity. These are statistics that demand our attention,” Hornick said.
Communities in Northwestern Ontario are particularly impacted, they added.
“These are the places where we need people to recognize the effects of cuts to public services because they feel them in their everyday lives.
“It’s important to engage beyond major cities and have conversations with those outside our usual circles. These communities are the backbone of Ontario, and it’s essential that we get out, travel, and listen to people’s experiences,” Hornick said.
As part of the visit, Hornick met with workers at Confederation College, where OPSEU represents 1,189 employees, including 78 part-time support staff currently in contract negotiations.
“These workers are the most precarious in the system—often the lowest paid. Many are students trying to get by,” Hornick said, emphasizing Ontario’s status as having the most underfunded college system in Canada.
Sara McArthur Timofejew, local union chair for part-time support staff and vice-chair of the bargaining team, said fair treatment is a key demand.
“We’ve been in bargaining for 12 months now. It’s time to reconnect with our members and discuss the next steps because we can’t continue accepting inadequate deals,” she said.
Noor Askandar, chair of the part-time support staff bargaining team, highlighted the scale of the issue.
“There are about 15,000 part-time support staff across 24 colleges in Ontario. Around 50 percent are student employees earning minimum wage, yet they are essential contributors to the college system,” Askandar said.
Askandar added that the employer recently filed for conciliation, prompting OPSEU to inform members about the process and the possibility of seeking a strike mandate to ensure productive negotiations.
McArthur Timofejew outlined key demands, including a minimum wage that is at least $1 above the provincial standard and paid sick days for contract employees.
Askandar also emphasized the need for improved equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) provisions within the collective agreement.
“One example is incorporating chosen family into bereavement leave policies. Additionally, for employees from non-Christian faiths, ensuring religious and cultural considerations are formally recognized is crucial,” she said.
Confederation College had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
