Strike ends at Winnipeg Free Press newspaper

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Workers at the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper agreed to a new contract with FP Canadian Newspapers Ltd Partnership late on Tuesday, ending a two-week strike, the newspaper said in a statement.

The Free Press, the biggest daily newspaper in the Canadian province of Manitoba, will begin publishing on Thursday, its publisher Bob Cox said.

The company is 49 percent owned by FP Newspapers Income Fund (FP_u.TO). Its units were down 3 Canadian cents at C$7.45 at the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

The FP fund said last week it would pay its September distribution of 10.75 Canadian cents per unit on Oct. 30 but had suspended further distributions as it monitored the financial impact of the strike.

About 1,000 people represented by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada work at the Free Press and its allied community newspapers.

They agreed to a wage increase of 2 percent and increased compensation for carriers, the newspaper said. ($1=$1.23 Canadian) (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Frank McGurty)