The union representing Ontario college workers says nearly 10-thousand jobs are being eliminated by the cancellation of programs.

Several colleges, including Confederation College, have made cuts for cost-saving reasons.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) blames government underfunding and administrative mismanagement.

“The hypocrisy of the Ford government is shameless. They claimed to be protecting Ontario jobs in the wake of the Trump tariffs, while at the same time they are dismantling a public institution that Ontarians turn to in the face of economic instability,” states JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO.

The union says the cuts threaten the province’s ability to fill labour shortages, especially in tourism, construction and manufacturing.

The colleges have also indicated that the limit on international students imposed by the federal government has also played a role in the program cuts.

The union dismisses that argument.

OPSEU says many of the programs had mostly domestic enrollment and might still exist had there been community input.

The union also claims the entire college system was sitting on an accumulated surplus of $2.7 billion.

“The fallout from the college funding crisis falls squarely at Doug Ford’s feet,” says Hornick.

“Workers are united to fight for a future where students, no matter their background, can afford to access the education they need to get a good job.”