Ontario’s English Catholic teachers vote 97 per cent in favour of strike mandate
Posted October 19, 2023 2:28 pm.
Last Updated October 19, 2023 2:46 pm.
Ontario’s English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has voted 97 per cent in favour of strike action.
OECTA President Rene Jansen in de Wal says a vote in favour of strike action does not necessarily mean teachers will take job action as long as there is “meaningful progress and results at the bargaining table.”
The Association did not specify a strike deadline and talks are set to continue this month.
Education minister Stephen Lecce called it disappointing that teachers have “voted to put themselves on a path to strike.” He urged them to sign a deal similar to the public high school teachers which accepts binding arbitration and avoids strikes.
High school teachers have agreed to a bargaining process with the government that will see the parties keep negotiating until Oct. 27 before sending any outstanding issues to arbitration. But the other unions have rejected that option.
OECTA and other teachers’ unions have been bargaining with the government for more than a year in the hopes of landing a deal, but progress has been slow, according to the unions.
OECTA represents the 45,000 teachers in Ontario’s publicly funded English Catholic schools, from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
The OECTA announcement comes a day after elementary teachers across the province gave a similar strike mandate to its union.
