Ontario's elementary school teachers are willing to walk off the job.
95 percent of members voted in favour of letting union leadership call a strike if necessary as their negotiations with the province continue.
The voting - which took several weeks to complete - wrapped up on Monday.
"This strong strike mandate sends a very clear message to the government,” said ETFO President Karen Brown in a news release on Wednesday. “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.”
However, the union said this vote does not mean there will be a work stoppage. A strike date has not been set and negotiations are ongoing.
"I will stay out of that process," said Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce last week, before ETFO voting had concluded. "What I can simply say to everyone involved is that we should be able to come together after the most unprecedent challenge imposed on young people - literally in generations."
"I like to believe we can put our differences aside. If we can do it with OSSTF, we can do it with ETFO," he added.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation has ratified a deal with the province that will see bargaining wrap up on October 27th, and then all outstanding issues will be sent to arbitration.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association has also not accepted that offer and continues to negotiate with the province.
"Fair deal, fair proposal," Lecce said of what the province has offered ETFO and OECTA. "Our mission is very simple. Stability for children."
