The Utility Workers Union of America Local 369 announced today that it has ratified a contract with Louisiana-based Entergy Corp. for tech workers at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, according to a release from the union Saturday.

“We are pleased that we were able to negotiate a fair contract for the hard working men and women who keep this plant operating daily,” said UWUA Local 369 President Dan Hurley. “Despite Entergy’s best efforts, we fought hard to provide important protections for our workers, especially when it came to healthcare costs and working conditions.”

The contract for the 68 tech workers, who are responsible for duties that range from maintaining plant safety to managing information technology systems was set to expire on October 24, 2012, but was extended to November 14, 2012 to allow for a membership vote on November 1, 2012. UWUA has hundreds of local workers that serve in high-level roles at the 40-year-old nuclear power plant – many who have been working at the facility for decades.

“It’s fortunate that we were able to avoid a repeat of this past summer’s negotiations process,” said Hurley. “Our number one priority has always been to keep our members and community safe and we believe this timely and fair contract agreement is a testament to that commitment.”

Entergy and the UWUA engaged in a summer of contentious negotiations surrounding the contract for nearly 250 members of Local 369. Union workers were locked out of the nuclear power plant for over a month and had their healthcare coverage revoked before an agreement was finally reached in early July.

Entergy operates or manages 10 nuclear power plants around the nation, including those in Michigan, Vermont, Arkansas and Mississippi.