Acme workers to vote on contract

Acme Markets employees will gather Tuesday at United Food and Commercials Local 1776's union hall in Blue Bell to vote on new contract with one of the region's largest supermarket chains.

The contract, which runs until Feb. 2018, provides wages increases, said union president Wendell Young IV, declining to provide further details.

In April, Acme's management terminated its contract with the union in a dispute over health benefits. After negotiations and tense meetings that nearly led to a walkout, the contract was extended.

An agreement was reached Thursday.

Acme's 3,000 workers had been working under the terms of a contract that had expired in February, 2012. Acme's parent company is New Albertsons Inc., in Boise, Idaho. New Albertson's is controlled by an investor group led by Cerberus, a New York private-equity firm. - Jane M. Von Bergen