Workers at Windsor’s Waterfront Hotel have ratified a new three-year contract by a margin of 81%.

The deal between Fahri Holdings, Vrancor Group and Unifor Local 195 was reached Wednesday after what local president Gerry Farnham calls a difficult round of bargaining. “Near the end there we were going sometimes until one in the morning.” The company had been asking for cuts in wages and benefits, but Farnham says the union was able to hold the line as well as continue the pension plan.

Farnham says the company has also agreed to invest back into the Windsor hotel. “They have agreed to a multi-million dollar investment into the building, and they’re going to re-brand the building as well,” he says. “That’s obviously a good sign for once again our membership, but also the City of Windsor.”

The workers could have walked off the job two weeks ago, but decided to stay on because of a major swim meet in Windsor that weekend.