The territorial government and the Yukon Employees’ Union have reached a new collective agreement, the parties announced Wednesday afternoon.

Details will not be released until the ratification process is completed.

The previous three-year agreement expired last Dec. 31.

There are 3,726 employees in the bargaining unit, including auxiliary-on-call employees.

The previous contract provided employees with a 5.75 per cent wage increase over three years.

It will be up to Premier Darrell Pasloski and his cabinet to accept or reject the new package on behalf of the government.

Union president Steve Geick said late this morning the negotiating team will now begin an extensive meeting schedule to inform the membership about the details of the agreement.

Union members will not be allowed to vote unless they have attended an information meeting, said Geick, noting the importance of having an informed vote.

“Because of the geographical area of the Yukon, we need to physically go to every community, every highway camp and every location to provide the information to all members,” he said.

Geick said the negotiating team will be publishing a meeting schedule next week.

Voting will begin Sunday, July 10 and will wrap up the following Thursday, with the count going ahead Friday, July 15, he said.

“The bargaining team will be unanimously recommending acceptance,” said the union president.

The number of government employees not represented by the union was unavailable this morning.

The several hundred teachers in the Yukon, for instance, are represented by their own union, while government management staff are not generally represented by the bargaining unit.