OSSTF/FEESO Simcoe Support Staff Members Give Strong Strike Mandate

BARRIE, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 25, 2012) - The Education Assistants/Designated Early Childhood Educators (EA/DECE) Bargaining Unit of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) District 17 Simcoe have voted 90% in favour of a strike mandate.

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

"Our members want a collective agreement with their employer," said OSSTF/FEESO Vice President Paul Elliott. "This vote is reflective of the frustration our members feel in regards to the continued interference by the Provincial Government. The vote is another attempt to follow the steps as outlined in the OLRA and work toward a negotiated agreement. The passage of Bill 115 by the McGuinty Government was unnecessary and has only made the process of negotiating an agreement that much more difficult and frustrating."

"I'm not surprised by the strong mandate shown by the support staff members," said Patty Coates, President of the OSSTF/FEESO District 17 EA/DECE Bargaining Unit. "They are very frustrated and angry that this government has shown a lack of respect for support staff workers and the important role they play in the education system."

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.