Nova Scotia Teachers Union holds strike vote today

CBC

Updated October 25, 2016 at 6:07 a.m.

Nova Scotia teachers call for conciliation board in labour dispute

Nova Scotia's teachers are voting today to decide if their union should go on strike as it seeks a contract with the provincial government.

Nova Scotia Teachers Union President Liette Doucet has told members that the provincial executive members unanimously recommended seeking a strike mandate from public school members.

NSTU members have twice rejected tentative deals the union reached with the government.

Seventy per cent of teachers voted against the latest deal, which had been recommended by the union executive. That was up from 61 per cent who rejected the previous tentative contract in December 2015. Both times, voter turnout was at 94 per cent.

The current teachers' contract expired in July 2015.

"The reasons that we have decided to call for a strike vote are to protect free, fair collective bargaining, to protect quality public education and to protect learning and teaching conditions," said Doucet.