The union representing B.C. paramedics and emergency dispatchers says it has reached an agreement in principle with their employer.

The deal, announced Friday, is between the union and B.C. Emergency Health Services, the Health Employers Association of B.C., and the provincial government, according to the union.

“This is where we wanted to be,” said Jason Jackson in a statement from the Ambulance Paramedics & Emergency Dispatchers of B.C.

The union says its members want improved mental health and wellness supports, benefits, wages and training.

“We needed improvements that help us better care for the public and ensure proper support when our members are injured or struggling,” Jackson added.

Earlier this week, CUPE 873 announced that its members had voted in favour of strike action after negotiations stalled. Since then, the parties have turned a corner. The deal means there’s no imminent strike action.

“Our members showed overwhelming unity with a 97 per cent strike vote, and that solidarity directly helped bring all parties together to reach a deal,” Jackson said.

“This is an agreement our members can be proud of that will ensure improved service delivery and a more stable ambulance service for British Columbians,” the statement reads.

Health Employers Association of B.C. says in a statement that it’s pleased with the agreement as it supports the province’s goal to “protect and strengthen critical services in B.C.’s public sector.”

It also supports “labour stability” and the province’s “efforts to find operational efficiencies that preserve front-line services,” it adds.

The union has previously said the ambulance service operates under significant staffing pressures and paramedics are deployed across the province to address long-term service gaps, particularly in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

The union did not share further details of the agreement publicly. It will now present the agreement to its more than 6,000 members ahead of a ratification vote.