Outdoor city workers will get a 6 per cent raise over four years in exchange for significant concessions on job security.

Members of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 416 ratified the proposed collective agreement on Monday.

It was endorsed by a “large majority” of members, said local president Mark Ferguson.

“We faced incredible challenges in this round of bargaining including an employer that failed to reach compromises at many points,” he said.

Council will almost certainly approve the agreement at its special meeting Wednesday.

“It’s great news for taxpayers and it’s great news for the unions,” Mayor Rob Ford said on Monday night.

Under the contract, the city will spend millions more on wages than it would have had Ford accepted Local 416’s unusual public offer to take a three-year wage freeze.

Ford, however, earned more freedom to reap savings through outsourcing.

He also ensured labour peace for four years.

The previous collective agreement lasted three years.

“The contract is a good one for the employees and a good one for the taxpayers. The fact that it goes four years is especially good, because it’ll take us past the (2015) Pan Am Games,” said Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday.

“We said right off the bat that it wasn’t just about wages. We didn’t mind a fair wage increase, and I think what we’ve offered is fair; we had to have some of these management rights back, and we were able to obtain them.”

Under the previous agreement, the city’s hands were tied by a job security provision that guaranteed continued employment for employees made redundant by outsourcing.

Under the new agreement, only employees who have worked for the city for 15 years will get such security.

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“In this day and age, you’ll take what you can get,” said Darrel Bailey, a road worker with 32 years’ experience. “I think it’s a good deal. Except for the guys with 10 years but less than 15 years — it’s not good for them.”

Negotiations with the larger indoor workers’ union are ongoing, but it appears Ford will manage to avoid the labour stoppage his left-leaning council opponents had insisted he was seeking.