The last union among four unions representing Ontario teachers has reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the new central agreement with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) this Tuesday morning.

Lecce said in a statement: "For the first time in nearly a generation, the Ontario government has successfully negotiated deals with all teacher unions to avoid strikes or work stoppages."

We have kept our promise to Ontario families: providing peace and stability for students, while we return to the basics in Ontario classrooms.

OECTA represents more than 36,500 teachers employed by publicly funded English Catholic school boards in Ontario.

In early December, the union announced it was moving towards reconciliation, a formal mediation process involving a third party working with both sides to help find a resolution.

It is a common process before union members engage in strikes or work actions. About 97% of its members voted in favor of the strike.

OECTA said in a statement that the negotiation process, which lasted more than 20 months, is "evidence of the success of free and fair collective bargaining."

Spokesperson Michelle Despault said in a statement: "We want to thank Catholic teachers, as well as the students and families we serve, for their extraordinary patience during this prolonged bargaining period."

"Our goal — as always — is to reach the best possible deal to better support all students and teachers, and address the key issues facing publicly funded schools in our communities across Ontario."

The specific details of the agreement will remain confidential pending ratification by OECTA members, which they say will occur on March 26 and 27.

However, Lecce hinted that some issues in the collective agreement have moved to binding arbitration — where a third party is brought in to make the final decision on any unresolved points of disagreement. One of these issues will be salary.

The province also reached agreements with the Ontario Elementary Teachers' Federation, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, and the Ontario French-language Educators' Association.