A loud, proud parade of striking workers filled downtown Timmins Wednesday morning – whistles blasting, chants ringing out, and passing drivers honking in support. More than 70 people from three unions – transit, postal and college support staff – marched together from Spruce Street to City Hall and back, calling for fair contracts and showing that, when push comes to shove, local unions will stand shoulder to shoulder.

Organized by OPSEU, the “solidarity parade” brought together members who are each fighting their own battles but share the same goal: respect, job security and fair bargaining. “Our message is simple,” said OPSEU board member Mandi McNeil. “We want the College Employers Council to come back to the table and negotiate a real contract. And we wanted to show CUPE and CUPW that we all stand together.”

The mood was part protest, part community rally. Striking workers chanted lines like “What does solidarity look like? This is what solidarity looks like,” as trucks rolled by and drivers raised thumbs or honked in encouragement. For many on the line, the action was a reminder that this is about everyday lives: stable work, predictable income and the dignity of a secure job.

At the heart of the college dispute is job security. Full-time support staff at Collège Boréal and Northern College have been on strike across campuses, demanding protections against contracting out, automation, and managerial takeover of skilled roles. OPSEU argues that recent provincial funding moves – including large new investments funneled to private training initiatives – threaten the public college system and should instead bolster public colleges that serve students directly.

Postal workers, represented by CUPW, have been striking over sweeping modernization plans at Canada Post, including proposals to replace door-to-door delivery with community mailboxes. Local CUPW president Ed Yee warned the federal government not to use back-to-work legislation as it did last year. “All they’re doing is kicking the can down the road,” he said. CUPW says Canada Post must modernize without wholesale job losses and has floated ideas like offering banking services or checking on seniors to generate new revenue.

Transit workers – members of CUPE Local 1544 – joined the march as well. Debbie Fleury, a bus driver on the bargaining team, stressed how the work goes beyond driving: cleaners and service staff handle messy and sometimes dangerous situations on buses and at shelters, and paratransit workers provide life-essential rides to medical appointments. “We all want a fair contract,” Fleury said. “We’ve stood strong and we’ll keep standing together.”

Negotiations are happening in several arenas at once, and tensions are high. The College Employer Council has pushed for arbitration to limit disruption to students; unions say they want real bargaining and binding protections, not one-sided decisions imposed by a third party. Employers point to fiscal pressures and evolving service needs; unions point to long-term underfunding and what they call creeping privatization.

For Timmins residents, the strikes raise practical questions: how long will services be interrupted, and how will students and postal customers be impacted? Behind those questions are the personal stories that brought people to the line – workers worried about making rent, seniors relying on home delivery, students who need campus supports – and a shared plea for solutions that protect jobs and community services.

The parade sent a clear message: these fights are connected. Whether it’s a college support worker worried about contracting out, a postal worker worried about losing a route, or a transit worker asking for a living wage and safety protections, the unions say the answer must be collective – good contracts, real dialogue, and respect for the workers who keep public life running.