Elementary teachers in Ontario have approved a strike action.

Ontario’s public elementary school teachers, as announced by their union on Wednesday, have overwhelmingly supported strike action with a 95 percent vote in favor. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario clarified that this strike mandate doesn’t guarantee an immediate walkout by teachers but serves to increase pressure on the government to negotiate a contract with the teachers during bargaining.

“This strong strike mandate sends a very clear message to the government,” president Karen Brown wrote in a statement.”

“We need the government to stop stalling and start negotiating seriously on our members’ key priorities, like providing more supports for students with special needs, acknowledging the staffing crisis in education, putting a fair compensation offer on the table, and addressing violence in schools.”

Negotiations are scheduled to persist throughout this month.

The union representing public high school teachers has entered into a bargaining agreement with the government, outlining a process where the two parties will negotiate until October 27. Any unresolved issues will subsequently be sent for arbitration, effectively removing the prospect of a strike.

ETFO and the other prominent teachers’ unions have declined to follow this route.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce expressed his deep disappointment with ETFO’s decision.

“Our government has remained at the table to avoid a strike and keep kids in class,” he wrote in a statement. “ETFO has voted in favour of a strike mandate that Ontario families do not want or deserve.”

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association was conducting strike votes on both Wednesday and Thursday.