Toronto (Canada's biggest newspaper) Star, union reach tentative agreement

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN1955638120080119

Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:55pm EST

TORONTO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Toronto Star, Canada's biggest newspaper, reached a tentative agreement with its unionized employees on Saturday to avoid a strike, after six day of mediated negotiations.

"We are pleased that we could come together in an historic agreement that reflects the constructive relationship between the Star and its staff," Jagoda Pike, publisher of the Star, said in a statement.

The deal was reached after talks between the company and the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, which represents 765 staff at the newspaper in areas including editorial, advertising, circulation and pre-publishing.

"Both sides had to compromise," said Guild unit chair Maureen Dawson. "But we think the outcome is an acceptable alternative to a long, bitter strike that would have done serious harm to our paper," she said in a statement.

On Wednesday, employees at the Torstar Corp (TSb.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) flagship newspaper voted 96 percent in favor of a strike.

Details of the agreement are confidential, pending a ratification vote by the union, which is expected in the coming days, the Star said. (Reporting by Renato Andrade; Editing by Peter Cooney)