With talks continuing but little progress made, the union representing 12,000 Ontario college faculty is now seeking a “no-board” report — which would put instructors in a strike position by the middle of October.

On Friday, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union — which represents full-time professors and those teaching a “partial-load” — said it had made the request to a conciliator to put pressure on the colleges and “trigger real negotiations.”

But Sonia Del Missier, who heads the colleges’ bargaining team, said “continued threats by the union to strike are not going to help us reach a negotiated settlement.

“The union repeatedly states that it wants to avoid a strike. Yet, after just two days of bargaining (last week), the union chose to start the strike countdown clock.”

The two sides continue bargaining on Monday and are expected to meet all week.

The College Employer Council, which bargains for all 24 public institutions in Ontario, has said the union’s proposals would cost $400 million a year, and lead to thousands of lost contract jobs.

The union’s demands “are not the basis for settlement,” said Del Missier.

But for the union, bolstering the ranks of full-time positions, instead of the more precarious contract work, is a priority, as well as giving academic staff a say in how the colleges are run by creating a governing body similar to university senates.

Faculty have voted 68 per cent in favour of a strike, with about 60 per cent of full-time and partial-load instructors — who teach from seven to 12 hours weekly — casting ballots.

JP Hornick, head of the union’s bargaining team, recently told reporters at Queen’s Park the colleges were “stonewalling” negotiations, and has accused them of demanding concessions.

Del Missier, however, said the colleges’ proposal contains no concessions, offers a lump-sum payment as well as improvements to benefits.

“We do have a good offer on the table,” she said in a phone interview. “We remain committed to achieving a negotiated settlement, one that is fair to faculty, but, at the same time, affordable and responsible.”

The schools, represented by the College Employer Councilhave offered a 7.5 per cent raise over the next four years, putting the highest-paid professors at about $115,000.

Del Missier said any decision about creating a senate is outside of bargaining parameters. As well, the union’s current position on staffing ratios would bring 2,840 new full-time positions, but at a cost of 7,120 contract jobs.

But for OPSEU, the move to add more full-time jobs “is about creating stability in the system,” said Hornick.

The OPSEU union local represents professors and “partial-load” instructors, among others. Of its 12,000 members, 7,500 are full-time, and 4,500 partial-load.

OPSEU does not represent part-time or sessional faculty, though a union drive is underway.

In 2011, colleges faced a strike by support workers, and in 2006 a lengthy job action by instructors.

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The colleges say full-time faculty cover 49 per cent of all teaching hours, and partial-load, 22 per cent. The remaining 29 per cent are covered by part-time and sessional faculty.

While the union has warned that the college system is nearing its breaking point, the College Employer Council says 83 per cent of grads have landed jobs six months after earning their diploma, and colleges have high approval ratings from employers and students themselves.

The colleges also say their offer is comparable to that reached by OPSEU support staff.

Since 2010, colleges have created 1,000 new academic positions — about half of them full-time.

During Wednesday’s Question Period, NDP education critic Peggy Sattler said the province’s 24 colleges “have seen an alarming rise in precarious work,” something post-secondary minister Deb Matthews said the government recognizes is an issue.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Matthews noted that while the government is not at the table, “nobody wants a strike — I think everybody wants what’s in the best interest of students.”

Academic college staff represented by OPSEU include:

Full-time college academic staff including permanent professors, instructors, counsellors and librarians. Their maximum salary is $107,000, but the average is closer to $90,000 a year.

Partial-load instructors who teach anywhere from seven to a maximum of 12 hours a week, and earn an average of $104 an hour for teaching. They are not paid for prep time, marking or for meeting with students outside of class. They are considered contract and reapply for their jobs every four months.

OPSEU is also hoping to soon represent:

Part-time faculty, who are on contract and teach less than six hours each week. They earn about $60 an hour, and are not paid for time spent preparing and marking. This group encompasses those who teach continuing education courses. They also must reapply for their jobs.