UPS has reached a tentative contract with its 340,000-person strong union, averting a potential strike that would have disrupted deliveries for businesses and households nationwide.

Announced Tuesday, the Teamsters are calling the tentative agreement  “overwhelmingly lucrative” and “historic”.

While the agreement must still be ratified by union members, it includes a provision to increase starting pay for part-time workers, which had been a considerable sticking point in the negotiations.

A tentative agreement had already been reached on the matter of safety issues, including equipping more trucks with air conditioning.

Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien says the deal “sets a new standard in the labor movement.”