Woolworths employees have voted in favour of a 3.75% wage increase, mirroring the Fair Work Commission's annual award rise.
One of biggest votes in history
The vote was one of the largest enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) votes in history, but the campaign in the lead-up was marred by allegations of misinformation and bad faith bargaining.
Almost 100,000 workers at Woolworths participated and 62% of them backed the four-year deal.
Despite the support, smaller unions labelled the deal, brokered by the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA), as substandard for workers.
The agreement, now pending Fair Work Commission approval, affects more than 130,000 employees in Woolworths supermarkets and fulfilment centres.
"We're very pleased our new enterprise agreement received a majority yes vote," a Woolworths spokesperson said.
The SDA, which represents at least 70,000 Woolworths workers, actively campaigned for the deal, sending text messages urging members to vote in favour.
SDA national secretary Gerard Dwyer praised the outcome, highlighting the benefits for part-time workers and the overall superior package.
"This is a good agreement," Dwyer said. "It provides a whole range of additional benefits, a really superior package for part-time members. There's something in it for everyone."
Dissent a sign of discontent
But the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU), representing fewer than 1,000 Woolworths employees, criticised the agreement.
RAFFWU secretary Josh Cullinan pointed to the 36,000 dissenting votes as a sign of discontent.
"That should ring alarm bells for the SDA and Woolworths," Cullinan said.
The deal offers a base wage of $26.07 per hour from July 1, slightly above the award rate of $25.65 per hour following the Fair Work Commission's minimum wage increase.
Despite this, RAFFWU contends that the deal is inadequate and accused Woolworths and the SDA of misleading workers.
In response to concerns about gift card incentives, a Woolworths spokesperson reaffirmed the company's satisfaction with the vote and commitment to implementing the new pay rates from July 1.
If approved, the agreement will take full effect in October.