A strike has been averted at the University of Windsor.

Unifor Local 2438 President Tullio DiPonti says a tentative three-year-deal was reached for 400 full-time and part-time administrative staff and operational engineers Saturday morning.

One of the main issues around the negotiating table this week was legislation introduced by the Doug Ford government designed to eliminate an $11.7-billion deficit in June.

With members in a legal strike position at midnight Saturday, DiPonti says the union and the university buckled down and finally came to an agreement at 4:30am.

"No sleep at all, but it was worth it because we feel that it's important that the students go to school and our members get agreement that we can live with,"

DiPonti says provincial legislation made things more complicated with wage increases capped to an average of 1% a year for three years.

"We had to work around those issues, but we did manage to get a tentative agreement that we as a union will recommend to our members."

He says both sides were ready to compromise to make sure there wasn't a work stoppage.

"I have to admit the university came in with a willingness to get a deal and we achieved it," added DiPonti, who goes on to say details of the agreement won't be released until it has been ratified.

Union members will vote on the new deal at the university on Thursday.

— with files from AM800's Gord Bacon and Zander Broeckel.