The Canadian Union of Public Employees announced on Monday that education workers in Ontario, such as caretakers, early childhood educators, and school administrative staff, voted 96.5 percent in favor of striking. Laura Walton, president of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions, said the negotiating team can now return to the table with a clear signal of member support for CUPE's proposals. Walton also added in a press conference on Monday: "Cuts in education are unacceptable, there is an urgent need for more frontline education staff for students to succeed, and it is time to significantly increase our wages. We are the lowest-paid education workers earning on average $39,000 a year. No one wants to strike, but the workers said very clearly, if this government does not budge, we are ready to strike indefinitely." The government offered annual increases of 2 percent for workers earning less than $40,000 and 1.25 percent for all other workers, while the Canadian Union of Public Employees is seeking annual increases of 11.7 percent. In the same context, opposition parties in Ontario blamed the looming possible strike on the government's feet, which they say refuses to guarantee proper services in schools.