Here's when Ontario education unions are holding strike votes

Five unions representing teachers and education support workers, including those at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, are negotiating with the province simultaneously after contracts expired at the end of August. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

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Unions representing teachers and education workers across Ontario will hold strike votes as early as this week as teachers enter the third month of the school year without collective agreements.

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Five unions representing teachers and education support workers are negotiating with the province simultaneously after contracts expired at the end of August.

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Union members include teachers and education workers at all four of Ottawa’s publicly-funded school boards: Ottawa-Carleton District School Board; Ottawa Catholic School Board; Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario; and Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est.

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Main bargaining issues stem around the need for increased funding from the Ontario government as union leaders say funding shortfalls have led to understaffing, larger class sizes and less support for students.

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Here’s a closer look at how upcoming bargaining could unfold and what it might mean for Ottawa-area students and parents.

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When are the strike votes happening?

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Each union has set its own dates as to when its members will vote on a strike mandate.

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CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU), which represents workers including education assistants, administrative assistants and social workers in the public, Catholic, English and French schools and board offices, will hold an online strike vote from Nov. 4 to Nov. 18.

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The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), which represents English public high school teachers and education personnel, will hold its strike vote from Nov. 6 to Nov. 16.

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The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), which represents English public elementary school teachers and education personnel, will hold its strike vote from Nov. 9 to Nov. 18.

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The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), which represents all Catholic teachers at the elementary and high school levels, will hold its strike vote on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13.

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The Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), which represents all French teachers at both the primary and secondary levels in the Catholic and public boards, will hold its strike vote on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17.

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To authorize strike action, more than 50 per cent of those who cast their ballots must vote in favour of strike action.

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Martha Hradowy, president of the OSSTF, told the Ottawa Citizen she expected a “high voter turnout and a high result because our members are frustrated with their working conditions and the lack of respect coming from Queen’s Park.”

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File photo of a sign at the Ottawa Catholic School Board building on West Hunt Club Road. Photo by Wayne Cuddington /Postmedia

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What happens after a successful strike vote?

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Even if members vote in favour of a strike mandate, it doesn’t mean that a strike or any other job action immediately follows.