TORONTO - Elementary public school teachers, members of the Waterloo Region Elementary Teacher Local of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), reached a tentative agreement with the Waterloo Region District School Board early this morning after a lengthy bargaining session.

"Our bargaining team has done a tremendous job. They worked night and day to build the consensus needed to forge a deal in Waterloo Region. Their determined efforts during a challenging bargaining environment will reap rewards for our members over the next four years of their new contract," said ETFO President David Clegg.

"I'm pleased that we have finally achieved an agreement," said James McCormack, President of the ETFO Waterloo Region Teacher Local. "It's been an exhausting time for all of us at the bargaining table, but getting our members the improvements in working conditions and benefits that they deserve was worth the effort."

Details of the agreement will be available following a members' ratification vote.

The Waterloo Region Elementary Teacher Local represents 2,500 public elementary school teachers. Their last contract expired August 31, 2008.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents 73,000 elementary public school teachers and education workers across the province and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.