OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 27, 2012) - The Teacher Bargaining Unit of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) District 25, Ottawa-Carleton has received a 95.3% strike mandate from their members. A strike vote was held on Tuesday, September 25.

This strike vote is a normal part of the legal process recognized by the Ontario Labour Relations Act. The District 25 Teacher Bargaining Unit's current contract expired on August 31.

"This strong strike mandate is reflective of the feeling of anger directed at the provincial government over the passage of Bill 115," says Dan Maxwell, President of the Bargaining Unit.

After early attempts to reach a deal in the spring that would have accepted a 0% wage increase over the next two years, Bill 115 seriously compromises the ability of the local school board to enter into meaningful discussions with its union members. Talks with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board have stalled as a result of the passage of the Bill.

"We are hopeful that these results will encourage productive dialogue with the board," said Maxwell.

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.