Local teachers give unions strike mandate

Two local teachers' unions have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike, but that doesn't mean they're going to be hitting the picket lines any time soon.

Local Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) members voted 98 per cent in favour of a giving their union a strike mandate Sept. 24.

The four local units of the Ontario Secondary Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) also gave their union a strong strike mandate Sept. 20-21.

Depending on the unit, they voted between the high 80s and the high 90s in favour of strike action.

James Clyke, president of OSSTF's Rainbow local, said part of the reason for the strike vote is to send the province a message that teachers are unhappy with Bill 115, recently-passed legislation which imposes contract terms on Ontario's teachers.

Strike votes are occurring across the province right now, he said.

“When we show we're in complete disagreement with Bill 115, then hopefully they would take a second look at legislating things, and come back to the bargaining table and discuss things with us,” he said.

Given that one of the aspects of Bill 115 allows the province to deem any strike action illegal, Clyke said it's unlikely the teachers' unions will walk off the job anyway.

ETFO Rainbow local president Barb Blasutti said the strike vote shows how angry her members are about the legislation.

“It's not that we're upset with a pay freeze or anything like that,” she said. “We're well aware of the economic realities of the province. But we were fully prepared to negotiate with that in mind. The bill takes away our democratic right to do that.”

Dena Morrison, vice-chair of the Rainbow District School Board, said strike votes are a “normal part of the bargaining process.”

“As part of the process, the unions and federations go to their members to assess whether they have a strike mandate should things break down,” she said. “That's what they've done.”

Morrison also said she thinks the strike votes are part of the unions' protest against Bill 115.

“What I read on it is the frustration level on teachers against the province and the recent legislation.”

She said she's still bargaining with all of the board's employee groups, and there's no indication that they're planning to go on strike, nor is the board expecting to lock out employees.

Bargaining has been “interesting” now that the province has imposed many of the contract terms, Morrison said.