It appears a strike will be avoided at one of central Iowa’s largest factories.Maytag spokesman Jim Powell says a tentative three-year labor agreement between Maytag and Local 997 of the United AutoWorkers union was announced this morning. The proposed contract covers 22-hundred production and maintenance employees at the Newton facility. The U-A-W members will vote on the new deal tomorrow morning. The previous six-year agreement expired at midnight last night. Work is underway at the plant today, despite the lack of a contract.
