Union reaches agreement with Giant Eagle, Heinen's

Unionized grocery workers in the Cleveland area have reached a tentative contract agreement with employers Giant Eagle and Heinen's, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 880 said Wednesday.

The tentative three-year agreement was reached after 10 joint negotiating sessions over the course of three months, according to Local 880 president Carl Ivka. Negotiations were complicated by the need to address increased costs resulting from implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the union added.

The agreement will be presented to workers in the coming weeks, with a vote anticipated to take place after Thanksgiving. The deal would cover around 9,000 Northeast Ohio workers.