DEVLIN, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 28, 2012) - The teachers represented by Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) in District 5B, Rainy River have voted overwhelming in favour of a strike mandate with the support of 97% of members. The Bargaining Unit represents both contract and occasional teachers.

"Our members want a collective agreement with their employer," said OSSTF/FEESO Vice President Paul Elliott. "This vote is reflective of the frustration our members feel in regards to the continued interference by the provincial government. The vote is another attempt to follow the steps as outlined in the Ontario Labour Relations Act (OLRA) and work toward a negotiated agreement. The passage of Bill 115 by the McGuinty government was unnecessary and has only made the process of negotiating an agreement that much more difficult and frustrating."

"I'm not surprised by the strong vote result from our members," said Kent Kowalski, President of the OSSTF/FEESO District 5B Teacher Bargaining Unit. "They want to see local solutions and a locally-negotiated collective agreement, rather than conditions imposed by the Minister of Education from Toronto."

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.