A strike at Ontario’s 24 public colleges was “narrowly averted,” said the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/ SEFPO) in a statement.

After more than six months of bargaining, the College Employer Council (CEC) reached an agreement with OPSEU/ SEFPO, the union that represents more than 15,000 college faculty members across Ontario.

Job action could have begun on January 9, after the union gave its five days of notice. According to the CEC, a strike would have impacted 450,000 students.

The union said that “significant benefit gains — particularly for […] precarious members” were agreed upon with the employers. However, the parties remained at an impasse, with all remaining issues to be resolved through arbitration.

Amid declining international enrolment, stagnant funding, and program and job cuts announcements across Ontario, key items discussed at the bargaining table included quality education, working conditions and job security.