Support staff with Edmonton Catholic Schools will return to work on Tuesday after the board unanimously approved a new agreement which ends their three-week strike.

Trustees ratified the deal Monday evening, hours after the union voted 583-142 in favour of the deal.

"We're all so tired, but now that it's settled, we've got a spring back in our step because everyone's going back to work where they belong," said board chairwoman Debbie Engel. "The family is complete."

More than 900 workers represented by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union walked off the job on Sept. 10. The union recommended that its members accept the deal, which was reached last week.

Union spokesman Danny Burrell said he was disappointed that the strike lasted so long.

"That is what we knew could happen when we got into it, certainly nothing that we wanted to lengthen out," he said.

"I'm just very glad that we've finally come to this arrangement, come to this deal, and our members have spoken and we can get going forward."

Under the agreement, the workers will receive a 4.5 per cent wage increase retroactive to September 2011, and a one-time payment of $600.