Ontario has reached a tentative agreement with 3,500 education workers represented by the Ontario Elementary Teachers' Federation.

In a press release issued today, Friday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the deal and said it would help keep children in the classroom.

Lecce said, "We are taking an important step towards achieving this priority by announcing another tentative central agreement with education workers in the Elementary Teachers' Federation, which helps to provide stability for families and elementary students in Ontario."

No agreement has yet been reached regarding the union's 80,000 teachers and occasional teachers.

Kathy Abraham, President of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA), stated in a statement following the announcement, "This tentative agreement recognizes the importance of the education workers in our schools and appreciates the daily contributions they make to enhance the educational experience for students."

The Ontario Public School Boards' Association states that education workers in the union are represented in dozens of its member boards and one school board, including Durham DSB, Halton DSB, and Hamilton-Wentworth DSB.

Karen Brown, President, said in a statement, "After a long and difficult negotiation process, we are pleased to be able to present a tentative central agreement for our education workers that addresses their key bargaining objectives."

"As we have reminded the Ford government all along, tentative agreements are possible when all parties engage meaningfully and when the legal negotiation process is given a chance."

The union rejected a proposal initially agreed to by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) in late August that would see binding arbitration to avoid any chance of a strike.

The union is holding votes for its members until October 17 to obtain a strike mandate in the negotiations. Brown said that if they receive a strike mandate, it does not necessarily mean that strikes will occur.

Brown stated in a written statement, "A strong strike vote result in the union will help communicate to the Ford government the need for seriousness about bargaining."

The union said on Friday that details of the agreement would be shared with its education workers after a meeting with their local president and senior negotiators, adding that a ratification vote is currently scheduled.