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“We had some very intense discussions a number of times. Both parties knew that the clock was ticking and that it was important to give it everything we had, and that there was no time for game playing,” McGarrigle said. “We were working on pieces at a time, seeing where we could land.”

Despite the stakes being high and there being tension between the two sides, McGarrigle said all involved were professionals who focused on coming up with a tentative agreement. It came down to the wire.

“We felt closer to midnight that we had given the company a very serious offer to settle the outstanding issues. We knew at that point they needed a little bit of time to digest,” McGarrigle said, which meant pushing the deadline to 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“I don’t think we knew we had the deal until we had the deal, because at any point it could have broken off and the gap may not have been bridgeable.”

Following the agreement, Coast Mountain Bus Company president Mike McDaniel commended both parties for working together to get a negotiated tentative deal and finding common ground to end what he characterized as a “difficult chapter for customers, employees and the company.”

Coast Mountain declined to comment on the bargaining process, and union local presidents did not respond to media requests.

A ratification vote is expected to take place next week, at which time the details of the new contract can be revealed.

McGarrigle likened the final push to a circus act: “It’s like trying to juggle a bunch of balls in the air all at once and make sure they all land in your hand when you’re done, so it’s not an easy task at all.”