Around 450 Angelica
employees had been protesting a lack of health benefits and low pay
since Dec. 10. Fernando Lemus, a representative for the United Food and
Commercial Workers Union Local 1445, said on Monday the new contract
would provide higher pay and other concessions.

Angelica, an
Atlanta, Ga.-based company, provides linens to hospital in Boston,
Worcester and Pawtucket. The striking employees had been working since
Dec. 1 without a collective bargaining agreement.

Lemus said
the average employee is paid $9.46 an hour, with a starting wage of $8.
While he could not be reached on Tuesday, after the union approved the
new contract, the Boston Globe reported workers will see a 45-cent
raise next year and coverage for 80 percent of family health insurance
plans, in addition other concessions.

Angelica New England Vice
President John Joyce said roughly one-third of the company's workers
did not go on strike, and that the picketers were replaced by temporary
workers.

Centro Presente, an immigrant advocacy group located
across the street from Angelica, served as a base of operations
throughout the strike, with Executive Director Patricia Montes noting
the "vast majority" of the company's employees are Latino immigrants.

"We
are happy with the agreement," Montes said, "but these companies are
definitely going to continue exploiting workers, especially immigrant
workers, because they are vulnerable. We're going to continue fighting
for systemic change."

– Tom Nash contributed to this report.