Friday, May 6, 2016 11:00 am

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (From the Sioux City Journal) -- After months on strike, unionized workers at a Sioux City WestRock box plant have returned to work after an agreement was made with the company.

About 50 hourly workers picketed in shifts outside of the WestRock plant over a wage and benefit dispute.

WestRock manufactures corrugated boxes for local industries such as Tyson Foods, Curly's Foods and BPI Inc.

Doug Day, a representative of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 1426, said the company made an offer and the workers voted to accept it.

"The majority of people decided to accept it and go back to work," Day said.

Workers returned to work Tuesday. The vote was held Saturday.

Day declined to discuss specifics of the deal, but said he hopes the relationship between the union and company improve.

"We want to bring a more harmonious relationship," he said.

Day said workers went out on strike for several reasons, including a wellness program the company wants to implement and changes to health insurance plans.

Workers also were upset with how promotions and wage increases were being implemented, he said.

The plant continued operating during the strike, but at a reduced rate.