BROOKS, Alberta, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lakeside Packers and
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 have reached a tentative
collective agreement, company and union officials reported today.  The
agreement is the result of contract talks held Tuesday and early Wednesday
between company and union negotiation teams.
    The approximately 2,000 Lakeside workers represented by the union will
vote on the offer Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Heritage Inn, 1217 2nd
Street West in Brooks.  If approved by a majority of those voting, the labour
strike will end.
    Company and union officials declined to publicly release details of the
tentative agreement until workers have been given the opportunity to review
it.
    "The union negotiating team unanimously supports this offer and will be
encouraging everyone we represent at Lakeside to approve it," said Doug
O'Halloran, president of UFCW Local 401.
    "We're hopeful our Team Members will ratify this offer because it provides
competitive wages and benefits, while helping the economic viability of the
plant," said Chris Borgren, manager of the Lakeside plant.  "It will also
bring this unfortunate labour dispute to an end."
    Because of the tentative agreement, Lakeside will ask the Alberta Labour
Relations Board to postpone Thursday's hearing on a request for a worker vote
on the company's last contract offer, which union leaders rejected in early
October.
    Lakeside Packers is owned by Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN).

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