The alliance had been seeking a three-year contract that would have tied wage raises to the consumer price index, plus an additional increase of two to four per cent.
The 'common front' represents some 420,000 public sector workers. The agreements in principle do not include salaries and benefits, which are still being discussed.
Fédération des syndicats de l'enseignement says it reached a partial agreement with the government after an overnight negotiating session, but didn't specify the terms of the deal.