Halifax newspaper says tentative deal inked with locked out plant workers

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s largest newspaper says it has reached a tentative agreement with the union representing 13 locked out printing plant employees.

The press operators and mechanics at the Halifax Chronicle Herald were locked out Saturday after the employees had turned down a proposal from management.

The newspaper says in a news release the tentative deal provides the company with significant long-term cost savings, while maintaining current compensation levels for the workers over the term of the agreement.

No other details of the tentative deal were released.

The company says a vote will likely occur over the weekend and it’s expected the workers could return to their jobs as early as Monday if the agreement is ratified.

Last fall, the Chronicle Herald announced it had given layoff notices to 20 unionized employees in an effort to save money in reaction to a changing industry and a decline in advertising.