Elementary school teachers in Ontario have called for a vote on a strike this fall in an effort to push stalled bargaining with the provincial government forward.

In a statement released today, Monday, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), which represents approximately 83,000 public school teachers along with support staff, said these votes will take place across the province from mid-September to mid-October.

For her part, Karen Brown, president of ETFO, said in the statement: "We need the Ford government to take bargaining seriously and to act in good faith, as required by law."

She added: "ETFO's goal is to reach fair and reasonable agreements without the need for job action. We need the government's full attention on bargaining so that we can address the pressing concerns in public education."