Local teachers have sent a strong message to the province of Ontario after the vast majority voted in favour of a strike mandate.
Around 3,000 elementary school teachers with the Thames Valley District School Board, represented by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), attended a strike vote at Budweiser Gardens on Thursday and voted 97 per cent in favour of strike action if necessary.
Strike votes are also being held in other Ontario districts throughout the month of October, with total provincial results expected in early November.
Elementary educators have been in negotiations for a new contract since June. Bargaining recently entered conciliation after talks stalled between the two parties, however, a number of bargaining dates have been set for the Thames Valley district.
The union has cited a number of issues that are being addressed during bargaining including more support for students with special needs, class size and class structure, the protection of full-day kindergarten and fair and transparent hiring practices.
