The United Auto Workers and General Motors have reached a tentative contract agreement that could end the 31-day strike.

The union said in a news release Wednesday, Oct. 16, that final details of the deal have been hammered out that the agreement includes “major gains for UAW workers."

On the picket line in Flint, the birthplace of GM, workers celebrated the news but stopped short of a full-blown celebration until the contract is ratified.

“This is what solidarity looks like,” UAW Local 598 President Ryan Buchalski said after the announcement of the tentative agreement.

“I feel pretty good. I think the rest of the officers here at the local, the team here, the members here ... They were and still continue to be ready to continue the fight if need be.”

A GM spokesman confirmed that a proposed tentative agreement had been reached.

"Additional details will be provided at the appropriate time,” said Dan Flores, a company spokesman.

UAW members walked off their jobs Sept. 16, looking for higher wages, job security assurances and a path to full-time status for temporary workers. It was not immediately clear when workers will start returning to work.

The tentative agreement reached Wednesday comes less than 24 hours before the UAW’s National General Motors Council meeting in Detroit.

The council will be asked to give initial approval to the proposed contract before more than 49,000 members nationwide, 17,000 of whom work in Michigan, vote on the deal.

Chris Reinbolt, 53, of Saginaw, has worked for General Motors for 23 years said strikers are eager to get back to work.

“We came out of here as a union and we’re going back in here not only as a union, but as a family,” Reinbolt said.

“If it passes, it passes. If it don’t, it don’t, (and) back to the bargaining table. I would think we’re going to be out here a few more days. We could be out one more week or whatever. It’s hard to say. It’s going to be up to the (UAW) International.”

Tony Mann, president of UAW Local 668, which represents a little more than 500 workers at the GM plant in Saginaw said, “I’m staying optimistic about the tentative agreement that we are going to look at tomorrow.”

Thursday’s meeting of the UAW National General Motors Council is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

The UAW news release said securing a “strong and fair” contract has been its goal.

“Out of respect for our members, we will refrain from commenting on the details until the UAW GM leaders gather together and receive all details,” said UAW Vice President Terry Dittes, director of the UAW GM Department.

“We are extremely grateful to the thousands of Americans who donated goods and helped our striking workers and their families. As we await the Council’s decision, please know that the outpouring of community and national support will be etched in the memories of all of us at the UAW for years to come,” Dittes said in the news release.

(MLive staff writers Winter Keefer, Cole Waterman, Heather Jordan and Malaya Elgarico contributed to this report.)