Labor unions notched a high-profile victory Tuesday as D.C. Council members approved spending $22 million to pay thousands of city workers for the four holidays-turned-furlough days they were forced to take last year.

The D.C. Council, which has grappled with versions of the proposal for months, voted 11-2 Tuesday to support the spending. Mayor Vincent Gray, whose candidacy for the city’s top job benefited from significant union support, is expected to sign it into law.