Teamsters, Wawa Make a Deal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Teamsters union members will be voting today on a tentative agreement reached with Wawa Food Markets that would end their bitter 10-day strike in five states.

The union will be recommending approval of the five-year accord, which was announced at about 10:30 p.m Wednesday following a 13-hour negotiating session at City Hall.

"It's an excellent deal for our membership," said Teamsters Local 463 spokesman Bob Ryder.

Pickets were to be taken down immediately and workers could be back on the job as soon as Saturday.

"Wawa is extremely pleased that its very good associates are coming back to work. It was a hard-fought negotiation," said Wawa negotiator Steve Wall.

The company said the contract includes a wage increase of 3.5 percent per 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.

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.

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-Philadelphia, who entered the talks at the request of the union, was credited with helping the two sides come to an agreement.

Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Collins had called both sides back in court for talks after expressing "her dismay that the court's time was being taken up with arguments" about how many pickets can walk strike lines in front of each store location.

Nearly 270 truck drivers and warehouse workers walked out over pension rights and overtime pay for Sunday work. Wawa owns 510 stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia.