Steelworkers at the HarbisonWalker plant in Windham went back to work Sunday night after ratifying a new labor agreement with the company.



The company announced that it had reached a new labor agreement with the 82 members of the United Steelworkers International Union and its Local 8565 on Sunday. The agreement ended the three-week work stoppage at the plant.



Matt McManus, a union leader at the plant, said the three-year pact was approved by a vote of 73 to 6.



A company release said the new agreement provides "above-market wages and attractive benefits to workers who live in the Windham community."



"Throughout the process, the company was committed to working with our labor partners to meet their needs, while addressing several factors in the marketplace that are challenging its competitiveness," the release stated.



McManus, meanwhile, called the contract "fair," saying he was pleased to see that the company didn’t freeze pensions and provided wage increases for workers. The pact also maintains 10 percent copays for health care and maintains support for pensions, except for new employees who are excluded from the pension plan.



"I would call it a fair contract," McManus said.



The strike started Sept. 30 after the union rejected the company’s offer 64-15, citing a slow degradation of their pay and benefits.



McManus said employees objected to a recent full page ad in an area newspaper that overstated average wages at the plant. He said the "average" of $51,000 probably reflected bonuses that were eliminated years ago. The average is about $10,000 less, he said, and he offered to show the company his W-2 statements.



"We get good pay, but it’s not that good," he said. "It’s hard to get the sympathy of the community when they think you make that much."



But the ad didn’t impact the generosity of the community, he said. Many people dropped off food to the striking workers, including pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs. A nearby church opened its doors to to the workers. A local restaurant also donated chicken whenever needed. McManus said workers still have a "chicken balance" there.



"We couldn’t eat everything that was dropped off," he said. "The support from the community through three weeks of striking has just been unbelievable. It’s just been fantastic."



McManus, who would normally go back to work Monday morning, is temporarily working an afternoon shift at the plant, since some workers got other jobs during the strike. When those employees return, he said, he will return to his normal shift.



The company hailed the end of the strike in its release.



"We greatly appreciate the cooperation, support and commitment of the entire HarbisonWalker International team that ensured we met all of our customers’ needs during this time period," the company stated. It also looks forward to working with the union for "an orderly return to work."