Five major unions representing Ontario education workers will hold strike votes in November. Their contracts expired Aug. 31, 2026.
The move signals a potential showdown with Premier Doug Ford's Conservative government after many months of warnings about deteriorating learning and working conditions in the province's schools.
Strike votes do not necessarily mean that workers will walk off the job. In fact, 95 per cent of labour disputes in Canada are resolved without a strike.
Unions use strike votes as a pressure tactic to signal to employers that workers are united in their cause. The co-ordination of the unions' votes is a clear message to the government that they're prepared to collectively pursue their goals.
