MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 24, 2012) - Members from two Bargaining Units of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) District 19, Peel have voted in favour of a strike mandate at a meeting held last week. The District 19 Teacher Bargaining Unit voted 94.2% in favour of a strike mandate, while the Occasional Teacher Bargaining Unit voted 91.4% in favour.

The contract between OSSTF/FEESO and the Peel District School Board expired on August 31, and the taking of a strike vote is part of the legal process recognized by the Ontario Labour Relations Act.

"This vote is not about wanting a strike," said Paul Elliott, Vice President of OSSTF/FEESO. "It is about using our rights recognized by law to bargain a collective agreement with the employer."

The Presidents of both Bargaining Units, Desiree Francis (Teachers) and Terry Murphy (Occasional Teachers), stated, "This extraordinary and unprecedented strike vote is proof of our Bargaining Units' resolve. Our teachers in Peel are united and ready to face the next step whether it comes from the government or the Peel District School Board."

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.