strike.
But as the bitter dispute continued into its third month, around 2,500 nursery nurses remained out as local branches held out for more money.
However, more than half of the 32 local authorities have made local deals, with Dundee and Inverclyde the latest to reach agreements.
Carol Ball, chair of Unison's nursery nurse working party, said the union could no longer hold out for a national settlement because the employers'
organisation, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, had not changed its position.
Ms Ball said, 'We're devastated. It's as if we're in mourning and then we've got to inspire members to fight on locally.'
But she said she believed the strike action had been successful in achieving improved offers from employers. The highest settlement agreed so far is in East Dunbartonshire, with a top rate of 10.46 an hour.
This still fell some way below Unison's original national claim for Pounds 11.94 at the top of the pay scale.
Nursery nurses in Inverclyde returned to work last week with a settlement of 10.20 an hour for those in schools and 9.23 for those on 52-week contracts. Annual salaries are up to 15,286 and 17,895 respectively, for early years workers with over ten years' service.
Robin Taggart, services conditions officer for Unison Inverclyde, said not all the striking nursery nurses were happy with the settlement but that, compared with offers from other councils, most thought it was acceptable.
Out of the 69 basic grade nursery nurses who attended a meeting, 37 voted to accept the offer. Mr Taggart said, 'The voting was narrow. Some are relieved that the strike action is over. Others wanted to continue a bit longer.'
Dundee nursery nurses returned to work on 30 April, with a deal that raises salaries at the top of the scale from 13,895 to 16,057, the equivalent of 10.10 an hour. There will be only one nursery nurse grade, with those at the higher end of the pay scale covering early morning and evening hours.
Rory Malone, branch secretary for Dundee Unison, said that under their new terms, nursery nurses would be 'more involved in the delivery of education'
and 'they stand proud'.
More than 1,000 nursery nurses are still striking in Glasgow as negotiations go on. They have been offered 9.83 an hour, with a lump sum of 1,200 for those working in schools and 1,500 for those on 52-week contracts.
Barbara Foubister, chair of Unison's Edinburgh branch, said the nursery nurses there 'overwhelmingly rejected' the council's latest offer at a meeting on 26 April. She said that of around 300 nursery nurses present, 'only three' voted to accept the deal, which ranged from 8.35 to 9.83 an hour.
Ms Foubister said the council's offer was 'not enough to tempt the nursery nurses back to work', and added, 'At the moment we're in stalemate because they've said there is no more money.'
Ms Foubister also said the local authority had raised the possibility of a new senior nursery nurse position, with a higher salary, but had given no information on the number of positions or their criteria. 'You would expect them to have some idea of how many there might be. There were too many "ifs" and "buts",' she said.
Edinburgh councillor Frank Russell urged the nursery nurses to reconsider 'the final and generous deal', which would cost the local authority 2m. He stressed that there was no more money available.
She added that Edinburgh nursery nurses would expect to see the fact that they lived in a capital reflected in any offer.
