UCDSB support staff vote to strike

BROCKVILLE – Support staff with the Upper Canada District School Board have voted overwhelmingly to strike to back contract demands.

Members of CUPE Local 5678 voted 96 per cent in favour of hitting the picket line or taking some sort of other job action should bargaining talks break down.

The vote was held on Saturday, Sept. 7 in Kemptville.

The local vote is slightly stronger than the provincial average where members across all Ontario public school boards voted 93 per cent for job action.

The strike vote doesn’t necessarily mean workers will be off the job. The earliest any job action could happen is Sept. 30, CUPE 5678 said on its Facebook page, which could include withdrawal of specific services.

CUPE Local 5678 represents 1,300 support staff, custodians, clerical staff, IT staff, early childhood educators and educational assistants.