The Corporation of Delta and CUPE Local 454 have reached a tentative agreement on a contract for the municipality's 850 unionized employees.
Delta chief administrative officer George Harvie confirmed Thursday morning the agreement was reached late Wednesday night with the help of provincial mediator Grant McArthur.
"We're very pleased that we reached a tentative agreement with CUPE Local 454," Harvie said.
While no one can comment publicly on the details of the agreement until it is ratified by both sides, which is expected to take place early in January, Harvie did say it falls within the mandate set out by Delta council.
As well, in a statement posted on the union's website, president Darryl Robison said the settlement is consistent with agreements that have been reached in other Lower Mainland municipalities.
Four-year contracts recently reached between New Westminster and CUPE Local 387, as well as Vancouver with CUPE Local 15, both included 6.75 per cent wage increases.
Both sides in Delta have 30 days to ratify the agreement. According to the statement on CUPE's website, ratification will take place during the week of Jan. 7. Harvie said staff will take the tentative agreement to council for ratification around that same time.
The agreement came after months of negotiations that saw the union file for mediation. Delta's unionized workforce has been without a contract since the end of 2011.
Delta negotiated directly with its employees this time after leaving the Metro Vancouver Labour Relations Bureau.
