A union of Long Island power workers avoided going on strike by approving a last-minute contract with their employer, National Grid.
The four-year contract negotiated promises a 3% wage increase and layoff protections for the over 1,100 workers. The agreement also maintains the workers retirement and healthcare benefits.
It passed with 93% of the membership’s vote.
Weeks of negotiations involving a federal mediator resulted in the final contract in mid-February. If the contract hadn’t been ratified, the union had voted to go on strike.
Union workers have been operating on an extension of their previous contract.