Ontario education unions hold November strike votes as contract talks stall
Five major unions representing 140,000+ teachers and education workers are seeking strike mandates after all collective agreements expired in August.
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Five major Ontario education unions are holding strike votes in November as contract negotiations with the Ford government remain deadlocked.
The unions representing roughly 140,000 teachers and education workers — OSSTF (teachers), ETFO (elementary teachers), CUPE-OSBCU (education workers), AEFO (administrators), and OECTA (Catholic teachers) — all have collective agreements that expired August 31. Voting windows run from November 4 to 18 across the five groups, with individual unions scheduling their ballots at different times that month.
Union leadership says the impasse centres on which issues should be negotiated at the provincial level versus locally. The Ontario Labour Relations Board is currently weighing how to split jurisdiction. "Our members want fair, negotiated contracts that address the realities they are seeing in schools every day," OSSTF president Martha Hradowy said in a statement, adding that a strike vote "sends a clear message to the Ford government that OSSTF/FEESO members are united."
A successful strike vote requires more than 50 per cent of union members to cast ballots in favour — but passing a vote does not automatically trigger job action. The unions say they are eager to resume bargaining and potentially reach deals by March. The impasse follows months of contract talks where both sides have disagreed on core terms affecting class sizes, support staffing, and compensation.
What specific staffing or compensation demands are the unions pushing that the government has rejected?
If strike votes pass, when would job action actually begin?
How many students and families would be affected by a province-wide education strike?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many education workers are represented by these unions?
Roughly 140,000 teachers and education workers are represented by the five major Ontario education unions involved in the negotiations.
When did the collective agreements expire?
All five unions' collective agreements expired on August 31, 2026.
What does a successful strike vote require?
A successful strike vote requires more than 50 per cent of union members to cast ballots in favour, though passing a vote does not automatically trigger job action.
