Teamsters Approve Wawa Contract

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Wawa Food Markets' unionized truck drivers and warehouse workers have ratified a new five-year contract with the company, but it was anything but unanimous, a union official said.

Teamsters Local 463 spokesman Bob Ryder estimated that Thursday's voice vote by union members was close, about 55 percent to 45 percent.

"There are a lot of bitter people out there," Ryder said. "They are mad at the company because of the way they've been treated. They feel like they've been locked out ... left out of work for 10 days. A lot of these guys have been with the company 30 years, they helped build this company.

"The company's got a lot of work to do," concluded Ryder, who recommended approval of the pact.

The 285 members of Teamsters Local 463 and 473 took down pickets, ending a 10-day strike, after the two sides reached the tentative agreement late Wednesday night following a 13-hour negotiating session at City Hall.

Under the agreement, workers would receive a wage increase of 3.5 percent each year for the life of the contract with payment of time-and-a-half on Sunday limited to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Overtime pay

n Sunday was one of the major issues.

Wawa negotiator Steve Wall said there may be some temporary layoffs because Wawa lost several wholesale contracts, but he said the company would work with the union on the issue. The contract promises no layoffs for those with two years of service, beginning in January.

Wawa truck drivers and warehouse workers walked out Oct. 3 over pension rights and Sunday overtime pay. Wawa owns 510 stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia.