Fears of a supermarket strike this summer in Southern and Central California evaporated Tuesday when the region’s largest grocery chains and the union representing 65,000 store employees reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The accord would make up some of the ground the United Food and Commercial Workers union lost in a bitter, lengthy walkout and lockout 3 1/2 years ago.

“We have recovered a lot without a strike,” said Rick Icaza, president of UFCW Local 770 in Los Angeles. “I think our members will overwhelmingly accept this. The wage increase and improvement in health plan benefits are significant.”

Management representatives confirmed that an accord had been reached but declined to comment on it.

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