After years of determination and organizing, all part-time and sessional faculty – including instructors, professors, counsellors, and librarians – at Ontario’s 24 public colleges are now officially union certified. Welcome to OPSEU/SEFPO – your union. This historic achievement marks the end of a decades-long fight for fair representation and collective bargaining rights under the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act (CCBA).

A Victory Years in the Making

This certification is the result of one of the largest union drives in Canadian history. The path hasn’t been easy – despite having majority support back in 2017, delays stalled progress for nearly eight years. It took intervention from the Ontario Labour Relations Board to finally move the process forward. But the persistence paid off. With this win, OPSEU/SEFPO grows stronger, now representing over 200,000 workers across Ontario’s public sector.

Stronger Together

This victory isn’t just about joining a union – it’s about becoming the union. Your voice, your experience, and your commitment will shape the future of this movement. Together, we’ll build a union that reflects your values and fights for what matters most to you.

Recap of Key Timelines

  • On April 11, 2025, the ballots were counted and 88% of ballot-casters voting in favour of joining OPSEU.
  • In late Spring, Locals will hold General Membership Meetings to elect Delegates to the Part-Time Pre-Bargaining Conference (June 19-20)
  • June 12, 2025: OPSEU/SEFPO delivered our employer the very first Notice to Bargain
  • June 19-20, 2025: Pre-Bargaining Conference: The PT Bargaining Team and PT Divisional Executive will be elected

What can you do to help?

  • If you are part-time or sessional: click here to sign an OPSEU membership form.  This is your gateway to the union – signing up will ensure we have your current contact information so we can keep you informed of union business, such as contract negotiations and organizing work.
  • Connect with your Local and ask them what you can do to help!
  • Help us reach your colleagues!  Employers only share a list of names with the union, not contact information, so it is difficult to reach many of your colleagues. Share the OPSEU membership link with your part-time and sessional colleagues so they can sign up and be kept up to date.
  • Get familiar with OPSEU/SEFPO – check out our New Members’ Guide
  • There is also a Part-Time/Sessional faculty WhatsApp group that anyone is welcome to join: 

https://chat.whatsapp.com/JjFWDrlkNt01Owhaf4h3rf

Questions & Answers

Who is considered part-time faculty, versus sessional faculty?

Instructors and professors, teaching 6 hours / week or less, and counsellors and librarians working on a part-time basis, are considered part-time faculty.

Instructors and professors, teaching 13 hours / week or more and counsellors and librarians working full-time hours for no more that 12 months in 24-month period are considered sessional faculty.

Why did OPSEU/SEFPO raise “objections” in the certification process?

The certification process always leaves it up to the union to raise objections, as the employer produces the employee lists. Both additions – of eligible part-time and sessional faculty names left off those lists – and removals – of employees ineligible to vote, such as mis-classified names submitted – are considered “objections.”

For an employee list of this magnitude, and to ensure that the list did not contain ineligible voters, objections are unavoidable to protect the integrity of vote results. OPSEU/SEFPO had to review and verify every single name on employer-provided lists – and we were just as confident we won the vote in 2017, as we are today.

What is a union local, and which local do I belong to?

Union local is a term used to define a group of workers within the broader union – some locals contain only workers from one workplace, whereas other locals may contain multiple work sites.

We plan on PT/SL faculty joining the existing locals across the 24 colleges. Please ensure you fill out a membership application so we can get your personal contact information to your locals, who will reach out with more information.

At the local level, you will conduct most union business, including holding regular general membership meetings; organizing with your coworkers; and running for any positions at the local executive level.

Your contract will be bargained centrally: a bargaining team you elect from amongst your colleagues will negotiate a collective agreement for all part-time and sessional faculty across the province, with proposals shaped around collectively set demands.

What is a steward, and why should I be one?

A steward is a worker just like you who volunteers their time to be a leader and resource in the workplace. Usually, the steward is your first point of contact for info about the union. If you encounter issues at work, your steward is often your first point contact.

Stewards from the part time/sessional faculty bargaining unit will be elected at the general membership meeting for your local. Get in touch with your local president to find the date and time for your next meeting. 

Still have questions? Contact us at CollegeFacultyPT@opseu.org.

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