Teamster Employees Ratify First Contract

WASHINGTON After 90 years of helping unionized workers across thenation negotiate contracts, employees of the Teamsters on Tuesdayratified their first collective bargaining agreement.

The agreement, negotiated by a local of the Office andProfessional Employees International Union, provides for a $500 lumpsum payment to each of about 200 covered workers.

It also calls for individual increases through ayet-to-be-completed job classification study. The raises, which willaverage 3.1 percent, will go only …