Sarnia, Ont. — As faculty at Lambton College return to classrooms this fall under a newly secured collective agreement, uncertainty continues to cloud the institution. Despite an arbitrated contract settlement in June, the college has moved forward with layoffs affecting academic staff, a decision that union leaders say undermines the stability of the community college system.
The latest labour agreement was reached through Arbitrator William Kaplan at the end of June, ending months of negotiations. While the deal provided some relief to faculty heading into the academic year, notices of job losses issued earlier in the spring have left many questioning the future direction of the college.
International Enrolment Collapse
Lambton College, like other institutions across Ontario, has been hit hard by declining international enrolment. New federal restrictions on international student permits have significantly reduced the number of learners arriving from abroad. For a college that has relied heavily on tuition revenue from international students in recent years, the downturn has placed considerable strain on operations.
In a statement, Michelle Arbour, president of OPSEU Local 125, said the decision to target frontline educators while administrative positions remain untouched is unjustified.
“Faculty are quite literally the source of revenue for the colleges. Without professors, instructors, librarians and counsellors, there would be no students paying the fees into the colleges,” Arbour said. “It is unconscionable that the colleges continue to have significant management related bloat while laying off front line workers and closing the programs that drive our communities forward into the future.”
A Manufactured Crisis?
Union representatives argue that the layoffs are not solely the result of financial challenges but part of what they describe as a deliberate restructuring effort across the sector. OPSEU Local 125 officers believe that program closures and workforce reductions represent a “manufactured crisis” aimed at reshaping the provincial college system.
They point to years of record surpluses, during which colleges across Ontario, including Lambton, undertook large-scale building projects. According to the union, little of that surplus was set aside to buffer against downturns, leaving institutions ill-prepared for sudden shifts in student enrolment.
“After years of unprecedented surplus that led to many a grand building project across the college system and right here at Lambton College too, it seems that very little money was set aside for a rainy day fund: and now, those rainy days have arrived,” the local said in its release.
Launch of “Save Our Colleges” Campaign
In response, faculty and staff unions are mobilizing. Through the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO), the broader college community has launched the Save Our Colleges campaign. The initiative highlights the role of community colleges in developing Ontario’s workforce and calls for long-term investments to secure their future.
The campaign urges Ontarians to get involved by signing up at opseu.org/saveourcolleges. Organizers say community support is critical to ensuring colleges remain viable pathways for education and training, particularly in regions where they serve as economic anchors.
Local and Provincial Implications
The layoffs at Lambton College echo concerns across Ontario, where similar staffing reductions and program closures have been reported. With colleges serving as training hubs for healthcare workers, skilled tradespeople, and technology professionals, union leaders warn that cuts now could weaken Ontario’s economic resilience.
Arbour and other Local 125 executives emphasize that the long-term risks extend beyond the faculty. Reduced program offerings, they argue, will leave fewer opportunities for students and fewer skilled graduates entering the workforce — at a time when employers across the province continue to face labour shortages.
About Local 125
OPSEU Local 125 is one of 24 faculty locals representing community college educators across Ontario. Its members include professors, instructors, counsellors, and librarians at Lambton College. The local is part of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents more than 180,000 public sector workers province-wide.
Looking Ahead
As the academic year begins, questions remain about whether further layoffs will follow and how the college plans to adapt to a shifting enrolment landscape. For faculty members, the combination of a new contract and ongoing uncertainty paints a complicated picture — one where job security remains tenuous even with formal agreements in place.
For now, the focus of OPSEU Local 125 and its members will be on sustaining the Save Our Colleges campaign and pressing both institutional leaders and government officials to commit to stable, long-term funding.
