Duquesne Light and workers' union reach tentative contract agreement

Duquesne Light Company and the union representing nearly 1,000 workers reached a tentative contract agreement, officials said. 

A spokesperson for Duquesne Light announced the news on Thursday night, saying the company reached a tentative agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 29 on a new five-year contract. The union did not release a statement on Thursday night. The exact terms of the deal were not released on Thursday night.

"We believe this agreement, forged through many days of discussion and negotiation with union leadership, confirms how much we value our represented workforce and their safety while also addressing our customers' concerns regarding affordability and reliability," the Duquesne Light spokesperson said Thursday night. 

The union workers went on strike at midnight on Sept. 30 after their contract expired and the two sides failed to reach an agreement. 

The spokesperson added that "several steps" remain before the company returns to normal operations, including the union's ratification of the agreement. Amid the strike, the union previously told KDKA-TV that Duquesne Light planned to utilize out-of-state nonunion workers as part of its contingency plan. 

"DLC will continue to keep customers and the community informed throughout this process in the coming days," the spokesperson said. 

The nearly 1,000 DLC workers serve more than 600,000 customers in Allegheny and Beaver counties. The union workers had been picketing outside the company's building in Pittsburgh's Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood. Issues the union wanted addressed included adequate staffing, safety concerns and retiree healthcare, among others.