State negotiators have struck a tentative deal with the union representing nearly 12,000 state and county blue-collar workers that would grant them pay increases comparable to the 6 percent to 8 percent in pay and salary step increases already awarded to white-collar public workers.

The proposed two-year contract for the United Public Workers Units 1 and 10 does not include salary step increases awarded to members of the Hawai'i Government Employees Association, but negotiators included other provisions to make the overall pay increases in the UPW agreement similar to those ratified earlier this month by HGEA units representing 26,435 workers.

Marie Laderta, chief negotiator and director of the state Department of Human Resources Development, would not release any specifics about the UPW agreement, including how much the UPW pay raises will cost the state and counties.

Laderta said the two sides in the negotiations agreed they would not immediately disclose specifics to avoid influencing the UPW's ratification votes.

The two sides reached the agreement shortly after midnight Sunday, she said.

UPW represents workers in fields such as highway and park maintenance, janitorial, corrections, food service, refuse, wastewater and water supply.

Gov. Linda Lingle said in a written statement she appreciates the efforts of negotiators on both sides of the table that led to the new agreements, and said the UPW members covered by the tentative agreement "provide valuable services to our community."

"As the two units move forward on the ratification process, I believe the members will see that this is a fair settlement that recognizes the important contributions of UPW members," Lingle said.

United Public Workers State Director Dayton Nakanelua was unavailable for comment, but the union Web site announced that the union's Unit 10 Full Negotiating Committee voted unanimously in favor of the tentative agreement on April 14. Unit 10 has about 2,800 members, including corrections officers, emergency service workers and nurses.

Unit 10 ratification meetings were scheduled for last Wednesday on O'ahu and Maui; last Thursday on O'ahu and Kaua'i; and last Friday on the Big Island.

Additional UPW ratification meetings are scheduled for this week, Laderta said.

The Hawai'i State Teachers Association, which agreed to raises of 4 percent in each of the next two years, plus a salary step increase, plans ratification votes for this week.

The HSTA, which represents 13,000 public school teachers, also agreed to work with the state to develop a program of random drug and alcohol testing for teachers.

The two-year contracts would all take effect July 1.

The last public sector negotiation involves the State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers, or SHOPO, which represents police officers in the four counties.

Laderta said she has been meeting with SHOPO representatives and expects to meet with them again this week, but the statement released by Lingle said that "it is anticipated that the parties will enter the arbitration phase of bargaining sometime in May."

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.