Bath Iron Works and the Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association have reached a tentative agreement that could put an end to a five-day strike.

The union will vote on the agreement Saturday morning at Brunswick High School, BIW spokesperson David Hench said in an email Friday evening.

The union’s negotiating team said the offer on the table is an improvement over one it rejected ahead of the strike at the General Dynamics shipyard that began Monday.

“Picketing activities will be paused to ensure members can attend the vote, though the strike remains officially in place at this time,” the union said in a statement Friday night.

If the tentative agreement is rejected at Saturday’s vote, they said the strike will resume.

After rejecting the initial contract proposal over the weekend, hundreds of workers began picketing outside the shipyard on Monday.

It was the first time the BMDA, which represents 627 shipyard employees who primarily work on ship designs, had gone on strike, according to its president, Trent Vellella.

In negotiations this week, General Dynamics proposed a four-year contract with wage increases of 10.5% in the first year and 5% increases in the following years, according to a BIW spokesperson. At the end of four years, a union member could earn more than $95,000 annually.

However, the rising costs of benefits like health insurance would cause union members to lose money, strike captain Maggie Luchetti said while on the picket line Thursday.

The proposal earlier this week maintained three health care plans, with the company limiting premium growth to 5.75%, or an average of $2.05 per week.

The proposed health care benefits also keep flexible work schedules, with the ability to work from home and options to purchase additional vacation time.