Teachers in Pembroke Pines' charter schools will be getting their annual salary increases based on years of experience, after the Broward Teachers Union and city negotiators reached a tentative contract agreement Wednesday night.

The city's 300 charter school teachers, who are represented by the teachers union, will get ``step increases,'' or advances on the employee salary schedule, for the 2008-09 school year and the current school year.

The two sides also agree to reduce the number of years it takes to get to the top level in the salary schedule.

``People will get to the top a lot quicker,'' BTU President Pat Santeramo said Thursday. ``[The city] actually beat the school system, because they do provide a large amount of increases to the various steps.''

Last year, the union declared an impasse in contract negotiations. The city did the same in talks this year. An impasse hearing before a special magistrate had been scheduled for Thursday but was canceled after Wednesday's deal.

The union also represents teachers at Broward's traditional public schools. The relationship between BTU and the Broward school district has gotten increasingly frosty.

The district and union are still hammering out a contract for this year. The union is asking for an average 4 percent pay increase, which includes advancement for years of service. The district isn't offering any raise but has offered to pick up the difference in employee health insurance -- though insurance for dependents is skyrocketing.

Pembroke Pines charter school teachers will vote on the deal beginning Nov. 12. City commissioners will vote on it Nov. 17.

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