The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association has filed for conciliation.
It has asked the Minister of Labour to have a conciliator appointed to help in contract negotiations with the government and school board trustees.
The union says it has met almost 30 times and has made 'significant progress' with trustees, but not with the government.
"Catholic school board trustees have come to the table prepared to work constructively, but the government side is in complete chaos," says OECTA President Liz Stuart.
Catholic teachers held a strike vote earlier this month and 97.1 percent of members voted in favour of strike action to back contract demands.
OECTA represents teachers in Catholic schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
In Windsor-Essex, including occasional teachers, there are 700 secondary OECTA members and roughly 1100 elementary OECTA members.