Anheuser-Busch and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract for thousands of workers, potentially avoiding a strike that could have idled a dozen breweries around the country.

The union said it struck a deal with the company Wednesday afternoon after weeks of stalled negotiations. Sean OBrien, the unions president, said in a statement that the agreement sets a new high standard for the brewing industry.

Workers must still vote on whether to accept the contract, with ballots expected to be cast next week.

Anheuser-Busch, which is owned by the Belgian beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, said it was happy to have reached a tentative deal. A work stoppage could shut down production of some of the countrys most popular beers, including Bud, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra and Stella Artois, as well as a stable of microbrews.

As Americas leading brewer, we take great pride in providing the best jobs in the beer industry and we look forward to formal ratification in the days ahead, a spokesperson said in an email.

The union said the deal includes immediate raises of $4 per hour, with increases totaling $8 over the five years. The contract would also end a two-tier health care system in which new hires pay more than veteran workers, and would increase the maximum vacation accrual to eight weeks per year.

Workers previously told HuffPost they wanted Anheuser-Busch to guarantee jobs during the life of the contract, fearing the company might close breweries or shift jobs overseas. The Teamsters said the tentative deal includes critical job security but didnt immediately release details.