TORONTO - A long-running and bitter strike that has lasted nearly a year could finally be coming to an end for workers in Ontario as mining giant Vale announced both sides had reached a tentative agreement on Sunday.

The Brazilian metals miner said the agreement involves a new five-year contract with United Steel Workers Locals 6500 and 6200, which represent production and maintenance employees in Sudbury and Port Colborne, Ont.

"It's been a long strike and I think that both sides worked hard," said Cory McPhee, Vale's vice-president of corporate affairs. "Both sides wanted a deal and that ultimately was the driving force to this outcome."

The tentative agreement is to be signed between Vale and the USW in Sudbury and Port Colborne on Monday.

"This deal is the best deal that we think we can get at this time," said Wayne Rae, president of USW 6200. "We're not saying it's the best deal possible, but we feel it's the best deal we can get for our members."

More than 3,000 production and maintenance workers at Vale's operations in Sudbury and Port Colborne have been on strike since last July 13.

Before reaching an impasse, the two sides had agreed on all issues except one -- the firing of nine workers during the strike and whether they were entitled to arbitration.

A statement from USW 6500 said an agreement had been reached with Vale to have the issue heard by the Ontario Labour Relations Board on July 9.

"This removes the remaining obstacle in the long struggle with Vale," the statement said.

Other key strike issues included proposals to reduce a bonus tied to the price of nickel, job transfers, contracting out and pensions.

Rae said both sides had reached tentative agreements on all issues and all that remained was a ratification vote by the union members.

The votes have been scheduled for July 7 and 8 in Sudbury and July 8 in Port Colborne.

"It's almost one year now we've been going through this with the company and we're just glad to have a tentative agreement in place," said Rae.

He noted however that even if the deal was ratified it would take some time for all the striking workers to get back on the job as some would have to be retrained for certain positions.

The strike was markedly bitter at times, with the union at one point accusing the Vale of bad faith bargaining and the company once accusing the union of "unlawful thuggery" over a variety of alleged incidents on the picket lines.

Rae said it would take some time for the company and union members to rebuild a good working relationship.

"It has been a long strike, and its going to take both sides to work together, basically to bury the hatchet," he said.

"It's not going to be done overnight, this is going to be in people's minds for a long time."

But Rae said despite the weary months, union members wanted to get back to work.

"We need to work together," he said. "It's going to take time, it's going to be both sides giving leeway to each other."

The announcement of a tentative deal comes just days after Ontario Labour Minister Peter Fonseca said the two sides had agreed to resume bargaining.

Fonseca said on Friday that the impasse on bargaining over the issue of the eight workers was not acceptable to the communities involved nor the government.

USW 6500 expressed its appreciation to Fonseca and also thanked the discussions' mediators Kevin Burkett and Reg Pearson.

Vale's nickel business employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and had net sales of US$3.26 billion last year, accounting for 13.6 per cent of Vale's overall revenue.