Workers at Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.’s Texarkana, Ark., plant yesterday overwhelmingly approved a new four-year labor agreement.

The deal was approved by a 1,006-to-141 vote by USW Local 752 members, which concluded at around 9 p.m. EST.

Various news reports from both Texarkana and Findlay, Ohio, said the contract did not include the five-tier wage system that appears to be a major sticking point in the lock-out of workers at Cooper’s Findlay plant, or a cost-of-living adjustment for this year.

According to the Texarkana Gazette, workers hired before Jan. 1, 2009, will get a lump-sum increase of $1,200 the first two years of the contract and a $1,000 one-time increase in the final two years of the contract; those hired after Jan. 1, 2009, will receive a one-time increase of $1,200 the first year of the contract and an increase of 20 cents per hour for each year worked.

Those workers who are retirement-eligible can receive a lump sum of $1,000 for each year of completed service, but Cooper will only allow a limit of 50 people to retire under those terms each year. Cooper is also ending its 401(k) match, but workers can continue to make contributions to their accounts.

According to Cooper’s news release, “Representatives from both the company and the union expressed their appreciation for the high level of professionalism and efficiency that extended beyond the negotiating teams to the entire workforce at the Texarkana plant. The parties are equally consistent in their optimism for the future of the Texarkana facility and the ability of the plant employees to be even more productive under the terms of the new contract. In addition to wage and benefit changes, which will be implemented over the course of the four-year accord, the company plans additional investment in the plant, which was applauded by both salaried and hourly employees.”