After struggling for nearly a year to negotiate new contracts with state government’s unionized workforce, Gov. Ned Lamont reached his first tentative deal last week, endorsing 2.5% cost-of-living raises annually through 2028 for a 4,000-member maintenance unit.

The four-year agreement with Local 511 of Connecticut Employees Union Independent, which now goes to the General Assembly, also calls for a step hike this fiscal year and in the next two for members not at the top experience level. A step hike typically adds another 2 percentage points to the raise’s value.

The contract would be reopened prior to the fourth fiscal year of the agreement, 2028-29, to resolve wages for that budget cycle.

“Our state employees work hard to provide vital services throughout Connecticut,” Lamont spokesman Rob Blanchard said Monday. “From working around the clock to keep our roads clear during storms to ensuring a safe daily commute and even maintaining our state buildings, we count on them and appreciate their service and dedication. We’re pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with CEUI and appreciate their collaboration throughout the negotiating process and believe the equitable wage adjustments in this agreement reflect that appreciation.”

Leadership of Local 511 notified members of the deal Saturday.

“Many of our units have struggled with recruitment and retention issues due to short staffing and insufficient wages, and this tentative agreement is a step in the right direction,” said Carl Chisem, president of Local 511. “Our union members have been the backbone of Connecticut’s public service sector. Their commitment to excellence and resilience in the face of challenges has ensured the continued delivery of essential services to our communities.”

Other details of the tentative agreement, including any changes in work conditions, were not available early Monday.

But Chisem said the agreement “reflects our ongoing commitment to address the concerns of our workforce and improve recruitment and retention issues that many state agencies face every day.”

Though the governor and unionized state troopers agreed last April to a raise similar to that just offered maintenance staff, more than 30 other bargaining units across most of state government still are awaiting new contracts and pay hikes, despite pledges from Lamont that all workers would receive good raises.

The fiscally moderate governor has been pressing unions to roll back some of the flexible work-from-home rules established during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Unions counter that remote work options improve efficiency for many jobs and are help state government recruit new employees — a task that became harder after union concession deals in 2009, 2011 and 2017 weakened fringe benefits.

Most unions across state government have been working since July 1 under expired contracts. And having pay hikes delayed because of the remote work issue and other work conditions has been a growing source of frustration for labor.

Three bargaining units, representing probation officers, marshals and other Judicial Branch staff, broke off talks with Lamont about compensation in early July. An arbitrator last month awarded those units a 2.5% cost-of-living raise and a step increase this fiscal year. Those unions and management continue to negotiate working conditions.

Unions representing rank-and-file correction officers, their supervisors and various education professionals also declared wage negotiations to be at an impasse last September. No arbitration awards from these unions have been announced yet.

Tensions between Lamont and unions also have worsened because of staffing levels and mandatory overtime.

The Executive Branch workforce shrank by about 10% between 2011 and 2018 under Lamont’s predecessor, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Labor leaders say many agencies have remained understaffed since Lamont took office in 2019, forcing staff in some key departments, including Correction and Children & Families, to work excessive overtime.

Unions also argue these conditions are unnecessary given that state government over the same period has used aggressive budget caps to drain resources from most programs and create unprecedented budget surpluses.

Lamont and the General Assembly have used those unspent dollars, which have averaged more than $1.8 billion since 2017 or 8% to 9% of the General Fund, to build reserves and whittle down Connecticut’s considerable pension debt. Those unfunded obligations, according to Lamont’s budget office, still top $33 billion, leaving Connecticut one of the most indebted states in the nation.