CHICAGO The union representing Jewel-Osco warehouse workers and drivers reached an agreement on a new contract with the grocery chain Sunday night, minutes before a strike that could have disrupted deliveries across the Chicago area.
The new five-year contract comes after lengthy negotiations that stretched late into the evening and will still have to be ratified by the 850 workers at Jewel s Melrose Park distribution center, Teamsters Local 710 said in a statement.
The specifics of the contract have not been made public, and a vote is expected sometime within the next two weeks. The solidarity within this group is inspiring. The situation was not looking good yesterday, and we were literally 15 minutes away from going on strike when the employer finally realized just how serious the situation was, Local 710 Secretary-Treasurer Mike Cales said.
Warehouse workers and delivery drivers for Jewel voted nearly unanimously Friday to authorize a strike if the grocery chain "does not agree to a fair contract."
Jewel responded Saturday to news of warehouse workers and delivery drivers voting to authorize a strike if the grocery chain “does not agree to a fair.