An overwhelming majority of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) have voted in favour of strike action if government bargaining takes an unfavourable turn.

The vote saw 97% of Catholic teachers say yes to delivering a strike mandate as government bargaining dates draw near, six weeks into an uninterrupted school year.

BREAKING: 97% of #CatholicTeachers vote "YES"!

Our overwhelming strike mandate sends a clear msg to @FordNation & Catholic school board reps to get serious at the bargaining table & work meaningfully with teachers to best support #onted students. #onpolihttps://t.co/lSjngqR4fj pic.twitter.com/oLp4EIIx82

— Catholic Teachers (@OECTAProv) October 19, 2023

“Contrary to Minister of Education Stephen Lecce’s ongoing misinformation campaign, taking a strike vote and receiving a strong strike mandate does not necessarily mean that Catholic teachers will take job action,” OECTA President René Jansen in de Wal said in a news release yesterday.

Ontario’s Education Minister Stephen Lecce expressed disappointment at this trajectory.

“It is disappointing that OECTA members have voted to put themselves on a path to strike. We’ve already reached a fair deal with one of the largest teacher unions to keep kids in class, and we urge that OECTA does the same by coming to the table, signing a deal, and committing to keeping kids in class,” he posted on X.

We stand with parents who insist that their children stay in class free from disruption & focused on learning.

See my latest statement on OECTA’s strike-mandate. 👇 pic.twitter.com/5ikuNnHhKX

— Stephen Lecce (@Sflecce) October 19, 2023

Meanwhile, the safety of Ontario schools remains a contentious topic with teachers repeatedly citing mounting violence in classrooms.

The impact of government-sanctioned COVID-19 response measures on the mental health and social fabric of students and young children undoubtedly played a significant role in the challenges currently witnessed in today’s classrooms.

Ontario educator Jay McCurdy discussed this at length at the National Citizen's Inquiry in Toronto on April 1.

A survey showed that reports of violent occurrences are up 70% in Ontario elementary schools since 2017.

Visit Rebel News for more on this story by @TamaraUgo: https://t.co/D5CmZdIP9A pic.twitter.com/6qlMDnW8or

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) May 25, 2023

Backed with 24 years of experience as an educator, McCurdy testified that the educational system was damaged by the extreme responsibilities put on the shoulders of teachers and school staff who were left to enforce public health measures despite having no medical training.

McCurdy furthered that 28 weeks of rolling school closures imposed on students, coupled with three years of forced social isolation due to COVID-related public health restrictions, negatively affected the capability of children in school today.

There was no sound evidence to support school closures and young people will bear lifelong impacts of nonsensical shuttering, according to a cost-analysis report published by the Fraser Institute.