Points of contention include salary and staffing
Ontario's elementary teachers have voted 95 percent in favour of a strike mandate.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario says this doesn't necessarily mean teachers will walk off the job, but they do hope it puts pressure on the province reach a deal.
"This strong strike mandate sends a very clear message to the government," says ETFO President Karen Brown. "Our members have been working for over a year without a contract, and their patience has run out. We need the government to stop stalling and start negotiating seriously on our members’ key priorities, like providing more supports for students with special needs, acknowledging the staffing crisis in education, putting a fair compensation offer on the table, and addressing violence in schools."
The ETFO and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association called strike votes last month, after turning down an offer from the province to take outstanding issues to binding arbitration.
The OSSTF, which represents high school teachers, is the only union to accept the offer.
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