On Tuesday, workers at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Canadian War Museum voted 92 per cent in favour of a deal reached with their employer and are expected to return to work on Wednesday. (CBC)

Workers at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum have ratified an agreement with their employer, ending an 86-day strike at the two Ottawa-area museums.

According to the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union representing the workers, 92 per cent of the nearly 400 votes accepted a deal reached on Monday with the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corp. In a press release the union said the new four-year collective agreement provides workers with more job security and protection from contracting out, including:

• A guarantee that no permanent employee will be terminated as a result of contracting out.
• Provisions that commit the museums to using attrition to minimize job loss.
• The creation of seven new permanent part-time positions, to be posted and filled internally, based on employees' seniority and current job titles.
• The possibility for full-time temporary employees to become permanent after 24 months, should the functions they perform continue to be required.
• New clauses for maternity and parental leave that are consistent with the Quebec Parental Insurance legislation.

The 420 museum workers had been without a contract since March, and walked off the job on Sept. 21 over job security, wages and contracting out. After rejecting an offer from the museum in late November, the union and corporation were called back to the bargaining table by federal mediators on Friday.

According to PSAC, the museum employees are expected to return to work on Wednesday.