July 17. 2026 — OPSEU/SEFPO Locals 417 and 418 are calling for urgent transparency from St. Lawrence College (SLC) leadership about the proposed merger with Fleming College.
The Locals say the recently published business plan ignores the intended dissolution of the college March 31, 2027, despite the confirmation in SLC’s own audited financial statements stating clearly that “It is expected that the College will be dissolved once its assets are transferred into a new College.”
This contradiction — between a business plan that pretends the College will continue operating independently, and financial statements that admit it will cease to exist — has intensified concerns about transparency, governance, and the exclusion of workers from critical decision‑making.
Axten says the omission of dissolution from the business plan undermines trust and leaves faculty without a clear understanding of what lies ahead. “The fact the college doesn’t have planning for a merger as a goal — let alone its primary goal — for this fiscal year is mind boggling.”
Amanda Shaw, President of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 418 representing support staff across the college, says the business plan’s silence on dissolution is alarming. “Support staff are already carrying the uncertainty of this merger, and the business plan only adds to it. It outlines multi‑year digital transformation projects and operational initiatives as if SLC will continue independently — even though the financial statements say the College will be dissolved. Our members deserve honesty about what systems will change, what jobs will change, and what workload impacts are coming.”
Shaw says the lack of clarity is creating unnecessary stress for frontline workers who keep the College running.
Locals 417 and 418 are calling on SLC leadership to immediately release:
  • All materials provided to the Board of Governors regarding the merger
  • Any analysis of impacts on faculty, support staff, and students
  • A clear explanation of why the business plan omits the dissolution
  • A timeline and framework for meaningful engagement with workers
Repeated requests have gone unanswered.
The Locals also request a meeting with the President to establish a collaborative process moving forward. “Belonging is a key value touted by administration. It must be more than branding,” Axten says. “It must be reflected in how decisions are made — and who is invited into the room.”
“Our members deserve clarity, honesty, and respect,” Shaw adds. “We will continue pressing for all three.”