Metro and its largest union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, say they’ve reached a tentative agreement addressing union concerns over privatization.

Both parties are withholding details of the four-year proposed contract deal until they can brief union members and Metro’s board. Both parties must agree to ratify the terms. More details should be available at Thursday’s Metro board meeting.

In a joint statement, both parties said the agreement could “create a path to bring in-house work performed at Cinder Bed Road bus garage and on the Silver Line.”

Local 689 bus workers that work for WMATA private contractor Transdev in Northern Virginia have been on strike for nearly two months, canceling 15 routes and reducing schedules on three others. It won’t immediately end the private contract there, but it appears Metro could phase out the three-year contract after it expires. That may be enough for the union to end the work stoppage.

Metro has been eyeing privatization of services as one way to save money and avoid escalating workers’ healthcare and retirement costs. Rising pension costs have long been one of Metro’s concerns. The agency has a $2.8 billion unfunded pension liability.

The deal also would create incentives for better customer service and enable Metro to live within its three percent subsidy growth cap, which the Virginia state legislature mandated when it voted to give Metro dedicated funding for capital projects.

“The new agreement would provide four years of certainty to Metro employees and customers after the current contract expires on June 30, 2020,” the statement said.

Although Metro and the union reached an agreement on a contract in summer 2018, that contract had been expired for two years and only went forward two years.

The new four-year agreement has benefits for both labor and management, according to a statement.

“After many months of negotiation, we reached a good deal for our employees that also provides our Board of Directors with an affordable option for bus and rail service for the next four years,” said Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld in a statement.

“I am pleased to have a deal that I can recommend to my members,” said ATU Local 689 President Raymond Jackson in a statement. “This deal will help safeguard our jobs against privatization. This deal would benefit all of our members and solidify transit careers as a pathway to the middle class.”

This story originally appeared on WAMU.