Brock University and CUPE 4207 (Unit 1) reached a tentative agreement early Monday morning March 14, nearly two hours after the union’s strike deadline, and averting what would have been the first strike in the history of the University.

As a result of the deal, classes and University services will function as usual on Monday.

Working through the weekend with the help of a provincially-appointed mediator, negotiators from the University and the union — which represents more than 800 teaching assistants, course co-ordinators, lab demonstrators and marker-graders — arrived at the deal shortly before 2 a.m. on Monday.

Details will not be released until the tentative agreement has been ratified by the parties.

A strike would have come with just a few weeks left in the academic term, and would have made it a challenge for students to write final exams, vacate rented apartments and get away in time to begin summer jobs.

University President Jack Lightstone called the breakthrough “fantastic news.”

“We are extremely relieved that a tentative agreement has been reached,” said Lightstone. “This is a victory for everyone. I commend the bargaining teams on all sides of the table.”

The deal came less than a week after the University reached a tentative agreement in contract negotiations with Unit 2 of CUPE 4207, which represents ESL co-ordinators.