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CBC
09-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Cuts at Ontario colleges leading to nearly 10,000 job losses, union says
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says close to 10,000 college faculty and staff have either been let go or are projected to lose their jobs amid hundreds of program cancellations and suspensions since last year. The union representing some 55,000 college faculty and support staff says that amounts to "one of the largest mass layoffs in Ontario's history" as colleges grapple with a funding crisis. An arbitrated faculty contract between the union and the College Employer Council released last week says the federal government's cap on international students led to a dramatic decline in enrolment and tuition revenue, and the cancellation or suspension of more than 600 college programs. The document shows 23 of 24 colleges in Ontario have reported a 48 per cent decrease in first-semester enrolment of international students from September 2023 to September 2024. It says 19 colleges have reported current and planned staff reductions totalling more than 8,000 employees as of June, noting the data was incomplete as some colleges hadn't reported their layoffs. The union says the layoffs and program suspensions will have generational impacts and college workers are prepared to fight back against the cuts.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Cuts at Ontario colleges leading to nearly 10,000 job losses, union says
People walk on the campus of Humber College, in Toronto on Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says close to 10,000 college faculty and staff have either been let go or are projected to lose their jobs amid hundreds of program cancellations and suspensions since last year. The union representing some 55,000 college faculty and support staff says that amounts to 'one of the largest mass layoffs in Ontario's history' as colleges grapple with a funding crisis. An arbitrated faculty contract between the union and the College Employer Council released last week says the federal government's cap on international students led to a dramatic decline in enrolment and tuition revenue, and the cancellation or suspension of more than 600 college programs. The document shows 23 of 24 colleges in Ontario have reported a 48 per cent decrease in first-semester enrolment of international students from September 2023 to September 2024. It says 19 colleges have reported current and planned staff reductions totalling more than 8,000 employees as of June, noting the data was incomplete as some colleges hadn't reported their layoffs. The union says the layoffs and program suspensions will have generational impacts and college workers are prepared to fight back against the cuts. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025.
Global News
09-07-2025
- Business
- Global News
Ontario colleges face 10K layoffs after ‘alarming' enrolment decline: union
A major union is again sounding the alarm for Ontario's public colleges as international student enrolment drops to a trickle, programs are cut and major layoffs take place. On Tuesday, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union released information that suggests the sector faces close to 10,000 job losses and the cancellation or suspension of some 600 programs. A recent arbitration decision on an issue between the union and the College Employer Council shed some light on the extent of difficulty the sector was going through after an early 2024 federal cap on international students. The arbitrator wrote in his decision that 23 of Ontario's 24 public sector colleges reported a 48 per cent decline in enrolment of international students between September 2023 and the following year. As a result, by the spring of 2025, more than 600 programs were cancelled or suspended at those colleges. Four institutions have also closed campuses or announced they will close them. Story continues below advertisement The arbitrator called the situation 'alarming,' pointing to layoffs numbering more than 8,000 people across 19 of Ontario's 24 colleges. OPSEU calculates that the number is almost 10,000 if you include layoffs at the colleges that have not yet submitted their information. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The current pain at Ontario's colleges can be traced back to the introduction of the federal cap on international students last year. In that case, Ottawa limited the number of students who could get study permits in each province. The Ford government kept university enrolment steady and reduced the numbers at colleges. It was a hammer blow to the sector's revenue, which had for years relied on international students for funding. Government documents estimate that, before the cap, roughly 32 per cent of college revenue came from those joining from abroad. OPSEU argues that a reliance on international students allowed the provincial government to shirk its funding responsibilities. 'Our communities are paying the cost of a crisis manufactured by provincial underfunding — and workers are prepared to build the provincial, coordinated fightback we need to realize a better college system,' the union said in a statement. While cuts are being made on campuses, annual salary disclosure data shows pay for leadership at the top of Ontario's colleges has grown. The best-paid college president in Ontario earned more than $600,000 in 2024, while the second-highest pay was almost $500,000. Story continues below advertisement Critics of the Ford government have argued it must offer better funding to public colleges to avoid further cuts, which could destroy jobs in some smaller communities. After the international student cap came in, the province unveiled just over $1 billion in funding for the sector. That was less than the number recommended by the province's own expert panel. In the spring, it offered another $750 million for the sector, tied to STEM programs. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security said the claim that the government had deliberately underfunded post-secondary education to create a crisis was 'baseless and categorically false,' pointing to recent investments. They pointed out that the cap on international students came from the federal government and said cuts were decided by individual institutions. 'Decisions related to programming, campus closures, human resources, operational and budgeting decisions lie solely with each institution,' the spokesperson said. 'As we always have, our government will continue making the necessary investments into our publicly-assisted system to ensure our students get into programs that launch successful careers and positively contribute to our economy.'
