TORONTO - Almost 10,000 part-time support staff at Ontario's 24 community colleges begin casting ballots today on whether to become part of a union.
The Ontario Labour Relations Board ordered the vote to be held at different schools across the province from today until Oct. 27.
If the workers approve, they would be represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).
The union currently represents more than 16,000 full-time support and academic staff at Ontario's colleges.
OPSEU claims that for decades, the part-timers have done the same work as full-timers, yet get lower pay, have no benefits and no guarantee of work from one semester to the next.
Part-time teachers at the 24 colleges voted earlier this year in favour of joining OPSEU, but ballot counting is on hold because of a protest by the colleges.
