WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 25, 2012) - The Teacher/Occasional Teacher Bargaining Unit of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) in District 24, Waterloo, has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate in their strike vote Monday September 24, 2012.

The members voted 93.4% in favour of a strike mandate. The contract between OSSTF/FEESO and the school board expired on August 31, and the taking of a strike vote is a normal part of the legal process recognized by the Ontario Labour Relations Act.

"The purpose of the vote was to gauge support for our bargaining position, as we attempt to achieve a mutually-agreeable collective agreement. The membership has sent a very strong message to both the Board and the government today," said Rob Gascho, President of the Bargaining Unit in Waterloo.

Harvey Bischof, Vice President with the OSSTF/FEESO said, "This vote is not about wanting a strike. It's no surprise to see the teachers in Waterloo so strongly support a strike mandate considering the unnecessary and unprecedented attack on collective bargaining rights by the Ontario government with the passage of Bill 115."

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.