The union representing staff at Yukon University say a tentative agreement has been reached with the employer, potentially avoiding a strike early next month.

“We are very pleased to announce that we have a tentative agreement,” Rafsan Faruque Jugol, a spokesperson for the Yukon Employees’ Union, said in a statement late Tuesday afternoon.

“Workers deserve a contract that is fair and equitable, and this deal will be presented to Yukon University Employees Union members for a ratification vote.”

The union did not disclose details of the agreement.

CBC News has reached out to Yukon University and have not received a response as of publication time.

Yukon Employees’ Union members had voted in January in favour of a strike mandate, meaning workers there could have walked off the job as early as March 2.

The two sides disagreed on certain terms of the collective agreement between the university, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Yukon Employees Union. That agreement expired in June 2024.

The potential for a labour disruption prompted Yukon University to pull out of its role in hosting the Arctic Winter Games in early March.

Last week, the university’s governing senate paused a vote on an academic disruption plan in the event of a strike, so senate representatives could better reflect students’ concerns. The plan was intended to dictate how a potential strike would affect students.