By The Associated Press

MADISON, Tenn. - Workers at Peterbilt Motors Co.'s suburban Nashville truck plant voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to accept the company's "final offer" and return to work on July 1, ending a 10-month lockout.

Plant manager Joe Scattergood said officials of United Auto Workers Local 1832 told him the vote was 470-90 to accept the new five-year deal. Union officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Peterbilt laid off almost 500 employees in November in response to a drop in orders for the heavy trucks. Layoff notices went out Aug. 26, four days before the previous contract expired.

All 750 workers were locked out on Sept. 3. Scattergood said about 250 union employees will return when the plant resumes operation.

The parties have not revealed specifics of the negotiations. Scattergood said the new contract improves wages, pensions and safety standards, "while helping the company control the ever-increasing cost of health care, which was the primary issue of the contract."

The plant is expected to produce a dozen vehicles daily, when workers return, Scattergood said.

Peterbilt, based in Denton, Texas, is a division of PACCAR Inc. Peterbilt also has manufacturing plants in Texas and Quebec.

---

On the Net:

United Auto Workers: http://www.uaw.org

Peterbilt: http://www.peterbilt.com

PACCAR: http://www.paccar.com