The union representing 10,000 striking college support staff says it has “zero appetite” for arbitration despite its employers’ call for it to help reach a deal.

With the strike in just its second day, and no negotiations planned, members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union again set up pickets at the province’s 24 colleges on Friday.

Their strike, called early Thursday, came after talks broke off with the College Employer Council, which bargains on behalf of the schools. The council has said it cannot agree to union demands to guarantee no job losses or further program cuts.

The council has been urging mediation or arbitration, saying that helped reach a deal earlier this year with faculty, but OPSEU president JP Hornick rejected the call.

“These are folks who really need t

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