We won't know the results of a strike vote by members of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario until early next month.
But Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario Greater-Essex President Adelina Cecchin believes there will be a strong strike mandate, based on the mood in the room during the local vote.
1,500 Windsor-Essex teachers and occasional teachers were at Caesars Windsor Thursday night to take part in the strike vote.
Cecchin says union members are fighting for more support for students with special needs, the protection of Kindergarten, class sizes and class structure, and fair and transparent hiring practices.
"We need somebody to start addressing the realities that are in our classroom, not just because of the working conditions but because of the student needs," she says.
Cecchin says increased class sizes and a lack of support is hurting more than just students.
"We're seeing more and more kids with special needs that are being integrated into classrooms without the supports that they need to be able to do well in the classroom," she says. "We're also seeing teachers burn out because of the workload they're experiencing, and we're seeing higher levels of violence because of those inadequate supports."
Cecchin says she's been in touch with federations across the province and it's clear teachers won't stand for anymore budget cuts.
"We've seen a slow erosion over the years and there's a desperate need to have an infusion of funding into education," she added.
Cecchin says results won't be released until early November as some regions still need to vote.