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Ontario’s Ministry of Labour issued two No Board Reports this week in response to requests made by the unions. One was issued on Feb. 20 in response to a request by United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2010, the second was issued on Feb. 21 in response to a request by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Local 901 (Unit 1). In both instances, talks continue between the university and each union in efforts to reach tentative agreements to renew their respective Collective Agreements.

´¡â€¯No Board Report is a normal feature of the labour relations process in the Province of Ontario. From the time it is issued, a 17-day countdown begins to a legal strike or lockout date. This means for USW Local 2010 the earliest either could occur is Sunday, March 9, at 12:01 a.m. and for PSAC Local 901 (Unit 1), on Monday, March 10, at 12:01 a.m. This does not mean a strike or lockout will occur, as the parties can continue to meet and negotiate during this period, but on or after these dates the applicable union is legally allowed to call a strike, or the employer may initiate a lockout.  

USW Local 2010 represents approximately 1,200 general support staff across the university. The parties commenced negotiations before the Collective Agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2024. USW requested a No Board Report from the Ministry of Labour on Feb. 18 after a provincially appointed conciliation officer conferred with the parties without a tentative agreement being reached. 

PSAC Local 901 (Unit 1) represents Graduate Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Graduate Research Assistants, and Juris Doctor (JD) and Medical Doctor (MD) enrolled students employed as Teaching Assistants. The university and PSAC have been meeting since Nov. 18, 2024. The Collective Agreement expired on April 30, 2024. PSAC requested a No Board Report from the Ministry of Labour earlier in February. 

The university values the contributions of its employees and respects the collective bargaining process. The university remains committed to continuing to work with the unions in the interest of reaching agreements but has also begun to prepare contingency plans to mitigate the impact of any potential job actions by USW Local 2010 and/or PSAC Local 901. Information on these plans will be shared with students, faculty and staff when and as appropriate.  

Once a tentative agreement is reached, the details will remain confidential until it is ratified by both parties. More information can be found in the Labour News and Labour News Frequently Asked Questions.