FORT MADISON, Iowa – Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) employed by Pinnacle Foods ratified a new four-year contract that covers pensions and includes a wage increase.

More than 400 UFCW members voted in January to strike in protest of the company’s plan to eliminate pensions. The UFCW said the new contract preserves pension plans and includes a wage increase of $1.60 to $1.80 over the term of the agreement.

“The fact that we were able to preserve retirement benefits for Pinnacle Foods workers is significant,” said Darin Boatman, UFCW Local 617 president. “Pensions allow workers to remain in the middle class, boost their savings rates during retirement and reinvest in our economy. This contract is not only a win for Pinnacle Foods workers, it’s also a win for the surrounding communities.”