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TORONTO, June 21 (Reuters) - Workers at Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper voted 97 percent in favor of authorizing their union to call a strike if they fail to negotiate a new contract, a senior union official said on Sunday.

More than 300 of the 311 reporters, circulation and sales staff participating voted in favour of the strike mandate on Saturday said Brad Honywill, president of Local 87-M of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union.

The current contract expires June 30 and a strike or a lockout at the national paper could take place immediately afterward.

"Either side could pull the trigger at that point," he said.

Honywill said managers of the Toronto-based newspaper were set to bring a new proposal to the bargaining table on Monday.

"If it makes a significant improvement over the previous offer the union will bring it back to the membership for another vote," he said.

Globe and Mail publisher Phillip Crawley said on Tuesday he would not comment on the talks while they are ongoing.

The Globe is owned by CTVglobemedia, a privately held media company that also owns the national CTV television network.

CTVglobemedia is owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Toronto Star publisher Torstar Corp, Canadian telecoms giant BCE Inc and The Woodbridge Co, an investment vehicle for Canada's billionaire Thomson family.

The Globe and Mail's competitors include the National Post, owned by CanWest Global Communications Corp.

Many newspapers and media companies have seen their fortunes sour in the past year as the economy hit the skids and advertisers slashed spending.

To cope with the downturn, media groups have laid off staff and sought salary, benefit and other concessions from their remaining employees.

The Globe has not been immune: in January, it revealed plans to cut about 80 jobs through layoffs and voluntary severance

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