The union representing support staff at Ontario’s struggling public colleges says it has been given a strike mandate by its members as it continues to negotiate for a new deal.

A statement from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union said 77 per cent of those who voted in a recent ballot backed the potential for a strike in mid-August.

“At this juncture, we have the opportunity to be on the frontlines of not just the fight for a fair contract, but also the public fight for a different college system,” OPSEU said in a statement.

The strike mandate does not mean support staff at Ontario’s colleges will strike, and it is not an unusual step on the road to an agreement. It does, however, give the union the ability to bargain with the threat of industrial action.

The next round of talks is scheduled for Aug. 20, the union said.

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Graham Lloyd, the CEO of the College Employer Council, said the idea of any strike was disruptive and urged the union to agree to a deal for its members.

“A strike of any kind is unnecessary and will not benefit students, employees or the college system,” he said in a statement.

“The union is threatening Ontario colleges with a strike while pushing for demands that will result in massive operating increases for colleges with fewer days of work. All of this is happening in the context of the worst financial crisis that colleges have faced in decades.”

Ontario’s public colleges have endured a difficult 18 months since the federal government capped the number of international students and provincial politicians maintained a cap on tuition fees.

A recent arbitration decision reveals that since then, at least 8,000 layoffs have taken place, with some 600 college programs cancelled across the province. Several major college campuses have closed entirely.

OPSEU said it hoped the current financial trouble could allow the college system to refocus.

“It’s getting back to the basics: a return to the original vision of our college system, before it was run aground by government neglect, college mismanagement, and private interests,” they said.

A spokesperson for the Ford government said it was following the talks.

“The Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security is not a party in labour negotiations,” they said in a statement. “We are monitoring the situation closely and remain hopeful that all parties reach a fair deal that puts students first.”

Lloyd said he hoped a deal would still be reached.

“We will return to the bargaining table with the intention of reaching a fair negotiated collective agreement,” he said.

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TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors’ search for a new team president is over — they won’t have one.

General manager Bobby Webster will have his contract extended and take charge of the NBA franchise’s basketball operations without a change in title. The Raptors said they will not appoint a president, but Webster will be getting support from the leadership at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the franchise’s owner.

Webster said he didn’t think any kind of formal designation mattered.

“A title, to me, probably isn’t as important as your responsibilities,” he said on Monday afternoon, shortly after his extension was announced. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I’ll make the most of it.

“A title is not something that concerns me.”

Webster, 40, is entering his ninth season as GM in Toronto, his 13th with the Raptors, and his 21st overall in the NBA. One of the architects of the Toronto’s 2019 championship run, Webster has led the team’s overall roster building, organizational structure, and day-to-day basketball operations for years.

“There’s 30 of these jobs in the NBA but this one, to me, is one-of-one,” said Webster. “The platform you have here, the opportunity we have with Canada Basketball, with all the kids growing up in Canada playing, I just really think that there’s not a more unique basketball job in the world.”

Webster was former team president Masai Ujiri’s first hire on the Raptors when the latter was brought on as Toronto’s executive vice president and general manager in May 2013. Before being named general manager in June 2017, Webster held the titles of assistant general manager and vice-president, basketball management and strategy.

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Ujiri was officially dismissed from his role as team president on June 27.

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MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said at the time that the organization would begin its search for a new president and that Webster would be considered for the role.

Pelley said on Monday that what convinced him that Webster was the right fit for the expanded role was seeing how well the Raptors’ organization worked at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

“Seeing the culture of the team and the role Bobby has played in getting us here, his leadership style, the rapport with the players and the staff,” said Pelley in a one-on-one phone interview with The Canadian Press. “I think what really came out in the process was his modern vision for the team and how he can specifically relate to players and to staff as an incredibly astute businessman with a deep knowledge of all facets of basketball.”

Webster said that he and Ujiri remain close.

“Great relationship with Masai, no issues there,” said Webster. “We have a long relationship. We’ve been through a lot, so no awkwardness there.”

Pelley sees the new Raptors’ leadership structure as part of MLSE’s ongoing integration of its sports properties that also include the NHL’s Maple Leafs, Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, and the Canadian Football League’s Argonauts.

He had a recent example of how this new umbrella structure might work, too.

When attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic was set to sign with Toronto FC in early August, TFC general manager Jason Herandez told Pelley he wanted one more medical examination of the star player. Instead, Pelley put Hernandez on the phone with Webster.

“I let those two general managers talk together, and the next thing you know, Djordje was seeing the Raptors doctor as a second opinion.” said Pelley. “That’s really the strength and significant advantage that MLSE has, having the four teams, and being able to integrate those teams and operating as one unit, and a group of individuals that are supporting each other in that way is really a competitive advantage that we have.

“So we will continue to integrate the teams, and that extends beyond just front office, and beyond just marketing and game ops. It goes all the way into the players.”

A native of Hawaii, Webster came to the Raptors after seven years at the NBA’s league office, under the leadership of commissioners David Stern and Adam Silver.

Webster worked primarily on the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement and was part of the team that successfully negotiated the 2011 CBA with the National Basketball Players Association. He and his wife Lauren, an entrepreneur and company founder, live in Toronto with their three children.

He said that all of his experiences in the world of basketball helped make this next step of his career possible.

“I just finished my 20th season in the NBA. I think I’ve had a really great opportunity to learn and observe from a lot of leaders,” he said. “I probably view it more as an opportunity for me to see who Bobby is and where we want this team to go.

“Obviously, I’m going to lead with a smile. I’m going lead with a lot of positivity and empower those around me.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2025.

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