Durham Teachers Give Strong Support to a Strike Mandate

WHITBY, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 24, 2012) - The Teacher and Occasional Teacher Bargaining Units of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) District 13, Durham have voted in favour of a strike mandate at a meeting held on Thursday.

The Teacher Bargaining Unit members voted 94% in favour of a strike mandate, while the Occasional Teacher Bargaining Unit voted 87% in favour.

The contract between OSSTF/FEESO and the school board expired on August 31, and the taking of a strike vote is a normal part of the legal process recognized by the Ontario Labour Relations Act.

Provincial OSSTF/FEESO Vice President Harvey Bischof stated, "The strike vote we have just taken here in Durham is part of the normal bargaining process as recognized under the Ontario Labour Relations Act. It's not about wanting a strike. It is about using our rights recognized by law to bargain a collective agreement with the employer."

"It's no surprise to see the teachers in Durham so strongly support a strike mandate considering the unnecessary and unprecedented attack on collective bargaining rights by the Ontario government with the passage of Bill 115," added OSSTF/FEESO District 13 President Dave Barrowclough.

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, early childhood educators, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, university support staff, and many others in education.