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Adjustments mark day six of a support staff strike outside Loyalist College

/ 91X FM CJLX
Lindsey Harren
Sep 16, 2025 | 10:32 AM


Adjustments mark day six of a support staff strike outside Loyalist College

NewAfrica / Depositphotos.com

It is day six of a picket line outside Loyalist College in Belleville.

Support staff, represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, hit the picket line on Thursday, after a deal could not be reached with the College Employer Council.

Speaking to 91X on the Loyalist picket line this morning, OPSEU Local 421 President Tim Prewer said that there have been no problems on the picket line.

Loyalist College has removed the barriers, that have been blocking the end of the P9 parking lot since Friday.

Back of the P9 Parking Lot at Loyalist College in Belleville on September 16, 2025. The concrete barriers now on the right side, had been blocking access to the entre back end of the lot. Photo by Lindsey Harren.

Prewer noted that there has been discussions around the Loyalist College property line and where OPSEU members can legally picket. Overnight, the picket line area has been adjusted.

Loyalist College remains open and classes are running as scheduled. Drivers can expect delays into the College, as OPSEU members are briefly approaching drivers willing to talk.

91X reached out to Loyalist College today for comment regarding the discussions surrounding where OPSEU can legally picket, and Belleville Police being on scene yesterday for a discussion after the OPSEU solidarity rally.

The College’s management team issued the following statement.

“Loyalist College’s priority is ensuring a safe and accessible environment for our students, employees, and community members during the ongoing Full-Time Support Staff strike.  
We remain committed to working together respectfully and have been actively pursuing mutually agreed upon strike engagement guidelines since before the strike began. Our goal is to provide clarity for all parties while prioritizing safety and security. It is common practice during labour disruptions for colleges and their local unions to establish such guidelines, and Loyalist has done so with OPSEU Local 421 during past strikes. An agreement of this kind would set out provisions for designated picketing areas on campus, along with allowing striking employees to park on college property and set up a trailer and portable toilets. These guidelines would establish clear expectations and help minimize safety risks at campus entrances for everyone.”
 
In the absence of an agreement, strike-related activities such as parking and picketing are not permitted on college property. To support clarity, representatives from Belleville Police Service and the college met with the union to review property lines and expectations.”

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