About 1,200 union members at Bruce Bower have ratified a new collective agreement.

Members of the Society of United Professionals voted overwhelmingly in favour of the deal that was tentatively reached two weeks ago.

Highlights of the four-year agreement include an 8.5 per cent raise over the course of the contract.

More engineers will also be hired and moved into union positions and members will be allowed to gain work experience through temporary assignment positions.

Collective bargaining began in November of last year and lasted 10 months.

The workers included in the new agreement are engineers, supervisors and other professional workers.

A government appointed conciliator had been mediating negotiations since mid-June.