New Frontiers School Board teachers votes in favour of strike mandate

Teachers at the New Frontiers school board inChteauguay on Montreal's South Shorehave voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate.

Eighty-sixper cent of teachers at the board voted 'yes,' according to results released Wednesday evening.

• 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

The vote means teachers at New Frontierscould join sixdays of rotating strikes as a part of the common front of public sector workers.

New Frontiers is the second English-language board to vote in favour of a strike mandate, after Riverside School Board did the same on Tuesday.

ChamplainCollege was also scheduled to vote on Wednesday.Other school boardshave votes coming up in the next two weeks.

New Frontiers consists of10elementaryschools, twohigh schools and threeadult/vocation education schools.

The Fdration autonome de l'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.24-25
• English Montreal School Board: Sept.24
• Vanier College: Sept. 25
• Dawson College:Sept. 28-29