The Educational Institute will ask its kindergarten teacher members to vote on an improved pay offer next month.
It said the potential deal included five more sick days per year than the previous offer from the Education Ministry.
The union said the offer made yesterday included the pay rise kindergarten and school teachers previously refused - $4000 from December last year, with a further $2000 or three per cent in December this year - but with the addition of a third pay rise in December 2024.
The union said, in total, the three increases would raise kindergarten teachers' pay by 11-14 per cent, and their top pay rate would increase from $90,000 to $100,000.
The spokesperson for the union's negotiating team, Virginia Oakly, said the increased sick days were "huge" for the union's members.
"Covid really hit us hard and has really knocked our teachers around because we're exposed to everything, all illnesses are going through our kindergartens," she said.
"So what we've got on the table is an offer of 15 days which is an increase of five days from the 10 that everyone gets. That's huge for us, that's really enormous, and that really does show the recognition of the illnesses that we are exposed to."
Oakly said the offer also included 100 allowances of $5000 a year each for kaiako Māori.
Negotiating team member Reweti Elliott, said: "Kaiako Māori carry a big load in kindergartens, around te reo and tikanga, so it's very heartening to see this claim recognised in the offer."
Earlier today, the Educational Institute announced its primary and area school principal members would take industrial action from the start of the second school term
It said they would refuse to do any work involving the Education Ministry from 24 April until the end of June.
They would also refuse to work on weekends, and apart from school board meetings they would not work outside the hours of 8am and 5pm on weekdays.
So far, only secondary principals and the minority of primary principals represented by a union set up by the Principals Federation have ratified the Education Ministry's pay offers.
Primary and secondary school teachers have yet to accept the offer.
— Reporting by RNZ
Teachers cry with happiness over improved deal
Oakly told 1News that teachers have told her they cried with happiness on hearing about the offer. The extra five days of sick leave has been seen as a big win, along with recognition of the extra duties and guidance Māori staff provide.
"Our members' reaction was just tears, laughter, happiness. I've had so many positive text messages and phone calls. People are really happy, and this is going to make such a difference to their lives," she said. "To know it's coming makes a big difference.
"I've got one teacher who rang me today to say 'this means I'm staying in the profession'. We've fought so hard. It felt like the concerns and the issues we had weren't being listened to, and then all of a sudden, it's like you've heard us, you've heard us, and you value us. That's absolutely amazing."
For the first time last month, kindergarten teachers took to the streets, along with primary and high school teachers, to strike as part of collective agreement negotiations.
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