Whitehorse radio listeners could be listening to their regular CBC programming again as early as next Tuesday.

That's the word from local CBC union representative Russell Knutson.

In an interview this morning, Knutson said he received the surprising news last night as he was preparing to phone 35 local employees affected and tell them they were likely facing another few grueling weeks on the picket lines.

'It was pretty iffy, I had heard that the talks had broken down. I wasn't looking forward to telling people that we were going to be out for a few more weeks,' Knutson said.

He said just as he was preparing to forward the bad news, a last minute call at 9:00 p.m. (Yukon time) came from CBC negotiators with a new message: 'We've got a deal.'

'We're hoping to be back on the air by (next) Tuesday morning. This is a contract which will define the CBC for the next 15 years.'

Knutson said while the employees had some hard feelings, they were able to get most of what they wanted from the negotiations, including permanent employment status for the majority of CBC employees.

'They are the one's who put this on the table. The CBC blew away our negotiators.'

According to the Canadian Media Guild, the proposed contract will go to March 31, 2009 and includes:

• A strong commitment to permanent staff as the standard for employment at the CBC

• Improved rights for contract and temporary employees

• A 12.6 per cent wage increase over the life of the contract

• Full retroactivity for all employees on the payroll prior to the lockout, including contract and temporary employees

• A $1,000 signing bonus

• An interpreters premium of $800 per year for employees required to work in more than one language.

Knutson said the deal is now undergoing review and the legal language is going to be worked out by the negotiating teams.

He said if the 5,500 CBC employees ratify the agreement later this week, it would likely mean employees would be back to work next week.

He also said, however, while the employees were happy the end of the lockout was near, employees were angry with upper management and it could be a wound that would take a long time to heal.

'We still have no idea why they locked us out, we don't know why they did this. We can't figure out their strategy. Even some of the members of lower management couldn't figure it out.

'People are tired and angry with the CBC, there's a lot of hard feelings,' he said.

Knutson said talk on Parliament Hill about having full and open public hearings into just why CBC management locked out employees is something he was in favour of.

'I would like to know what they were up to.'

Local CBC journalist Dave White said he and his fellow employees were glad to see that an end to the dispute is in sight.

'I'm relieved obviously, and excited. This is the 50th day we've been out here.

'Walking this line was really draining,' he said.

White said a lot of his coworkers were beginning to feel the pinch as they have been forced to survive on $200-a-week in lockout pay.

'Financially it was a burden, I know it was really hard on a lot of people.

'A lot of people had to make some really tough decisions.'

The CBC lockout has been the subject of much discussion in Ottawa with many Liberal MPs suggesting the federal government reexamine the Crown corporation's right to lockout employees in the future, which could lead to discussion on changing labour laws.

Many Liberal backbenchers were also complaining that many Canadians, especially those in rural areas, were not getting the service that they needed.