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After nearly eight years of negotiations, the United Transportation Union and Amtrak finally reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday.

Retroactive to Jan. 1, 2000, and extending through Dec. 31, 2009, the contract would cover 2,300 conductors and assistant conductors. The pact calls for no work-rule givebacks and protects assistant conductors; Amtrak previously sought to eliminate about 400 assistant conductor positions to cut costs.

The contract also would provide back-pay and wage increase provisions identical to those Amtrak agreed to with nine other unions last month.