John Abbott College teachers vote in favour of strike

Teachers at John Abbott College have voted overwhelmingly in favour of giving their union a strike mandate.

Teachers in attendance voted 89 per cent in favour, a union representative told CBC Montreal.

The vote was toapprove the option to holdsixdays of rotating strikes.

• Thousands of Quebec teachers to strike for 2 days this fall
• Extra-curricular activities put on hold in some Montreal schools
• Students, parents, staff protest against public school spending cuts

SirWilfridLaurierSchool Board teachers are also voting both today as well asTuesday.

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board is the third-largest English school board in Quebec, with26 elementary schools, nine high schools, five adult education and vocational training centres.

Two English school boards on Montreal's South Shore,NewFrontiersand Riverside, have already approved astrike mandate.

TheFdrationautonomedel'enseignement(FAE)a union federation representingteachers at French-language schoolssaid last week that 34,000 of its members would hold a one-day strike on Sept. 30.

That strike day is expected to affect275,000 students in 10 Montreal-area school boards.

Public school teachers have been without a contract since last April.

Upcomingstrike votes for Montreal-area English schools and boards

• John Abbott College:Sept. 21
• SirWilfrid Laurier School Board:Sept.21-22
• Eastern Townships School Board:Sept. 23
• Lester B. Pearson School Board:Sept. 23-24
• English Montreal School Board:Sept.24
• Vanier College:Sept. 25
• Dawson College:Sept. 28-29