By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – More than 10,000 union workers at St. Louis area Dierberg's, Schnucks, and Shop N' Save stores will soon get a ballot and a contract proposal in the mail.
Negotiators Wednesday night agreed on a tentative four-year deal. Union members will now vote by mail; the results should be known in two weeks.
If approved, it would mark the first time workers at all three store chains have had the same contract.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 is the largest union in Missouri.
The unified front of having all three chains negotiate the same contract reflects, at least partly, growing concern in the grocery industry about the increasing clout of Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, and now, the nation's largest grocer.
Workers affected by the contract must vote on the pact by September 27th.