An ‘overwhelming’ show of support for strike action, if needed, from Ontario’s elementary teachers.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario says 98 percent of members that voted have given their negotiators a strike mandate.

The union has 83,000 members across the province, including the North Bay area.

Strike votes were held across Ontario, including locally, in recent weeks.

Negotiators are meeting with a concilliator on Monday.

Rob Hammond, ETFO President, Near North Teacher’s Local told BayToday the biggest concern is kindergarten.

He says the government has not moved off its position of removing kindergarten teachers from the classroom which would result in the loss of 7,000 jobs provincially and at least 40 locally.

High school teachers and teachers in the English Catholic system are also holding strike votes, with results expected in the next couple of weeks.

This round of bargaining has been tense, as it comes amid government attempts to impose caps on wage increases for public sector workers and increase class sizes, which will mean thousands of fewer teachers in the system.

A strike by 55,000 education workers _ such as custodians, administrative staff and early childhood educators _ was averted at the last minute when the government reached a tentative deal with the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

(With files from The Canadian Press)
(File photo by station staff)