Three unions covering more than 25,000 health-care providers are reported to have signed a four-year tentative deal with the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO). The unions have been successful in reaching the agreement after more than two years.

The four-year agreement, which will be retroactive to April 1, 2008, the date when the earlier collective agreement lost its activity, union leaders posted in a release.

"The terms are going to be presented to our membership prior to releasing to the media."It wouldn't be fair to discuss the details before they see them”. Barbara Cape, President of SEIU, posted Friday night, following the announcement of the deal by the unions.

However, he believes that it will take a string of weeks until members cast their votes and formally approve the agreement.

The three unions include CUPE, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, with 12,500 health sector members; SEIU, the Service Employees International Union with 11,000 members and SGEU, the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union, hailing its 2,000 members in three health regions.

The financial offer by SAHO included a 4% rise in general wage for 2008-09, 2% for 2009-10 and 1.5% for 2010-11 -- with the retroactive pay being erased with effect from April 1 -- and an additional 2% with effect from April 1, 2011.