NEWMARKET, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 25, 2012) - The Teacher/Occasional Teacher Bargaining Unit of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) in District 16, York, has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate in their strike vote today.

The members voted 94% 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 membership has sent a very strong message to the government today," said Colleen Ireland, District 16 President of OSSTF/FEESO.

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.