Vancouver: The Communications, Energy and Paperworks Union of Canada reached a tentative agreement with the cbc April 1 which, if ratified, will end the strike by 2,000 technicians that began Feb. 17.

The Canadian Media Guild (cmg) will ratify its new collective agreement with the cbc April 22 and 23.

The cep negotiating committee is unanimously recommending the tentative agreement, and ratification meetings are underway.

The agreement follows an order by the Federal Ministry of Labor sending the cep back to the bargaining table they walked away from a cbc offer that included a 10% wage increase phased in until October 2000.

Journalists and office workers, represented by cmg, reached their tentative agreement March 19. The cmg agreement calls for a 10% wage increase over three years, including a 2.5% raise retroactive to January.