Conestoga reduces workforce through voluntary exit package offer

Conestoga College has reportedly offered voluntary exit packages to 373 full-time employees. Those who received the offer included faculty members, librarians, and counsellors who had worked at the college for at least two years. They will reportedly have until October 20 to decide if they want to accept the offer; those whose applications are approved will leave their roles on December 19. “We are in an existential threat here as a provincial, publicly funded college system,” said OPSEU Local 237 President Leopold Koff. “We have never seen layoffs or reductions of staff as much as we see here.” The Waterloo Region Record states that the college’s workforce has declined by 44% across all job categories.