Kroger and the food workers union have a new deal…one that will stop a possible strike next week.
The tentative contract agreement comes after two days of negotiations between Local 400 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, and the biggest supermarket chain in the country.
The proposed 4-year contract covers some 5000 workers at stores in western and central Virginia West Virginia and eastern Tennessee.
The company says the new deal is a significant investment in pay, healthcare and pension benefits.
Union leaders would not be specific. But negotiator Rick Howell says this deal beats the one that led to the union strike vote last week.
"We know in general that things aren’t what they used to be for organized labor in this country. But this has fired up our union down here and we feel good about that for the future. You never get anything you want anyway, but we do feel certain that we got a better deal this time and we’re going to be happy to recommend it."
Local 400 members will get a look at the details of the contract and vote on it at a meeting in Roanoke on June 8th.
