DENVER -- Qwest Communications International Inc. and members of its largest union reached Tentative Agreement early Monday.

"I appreciate the collaborative effort the bargaining teams made in confronting key issues facing employees and Qwest, especially health care," said Teresa Taylor, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Qwest in a press release.

Workers represented by the Communications Workers of America had voted to authorize a strike if they couldn't reach a new contract, but CWA organizing coordinator Al Kogler said no strike had been called after the contract expired at 11:59 p.m. Saturday.

The union represents about 20,000 Qwest workers in 13 states. Employees in Montana are represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which also was in talks with Denver-based Qwest.

The talks come a little more than a week before the start of the Democratic National Convention, where Qwest is providing phone and Internet services.