The three-year settlement achieved the workers' key aim of equal pay across Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch Foodtown, Countdown and Woolworths Distribution Centres.
A single national pay rate will deliver 19.7% to the lowest paid distribution centre in Christchurch by year three.
"Twenty-eight days without pay was hard, but in the end we won our agreement," said Mangere distribution delegate Daniel Patea. "Some of us had no money except for the kind donations from the public, but we knew if we stood staunch, we'd win - and we did."
"They tried to bully us into submission through starvation, but all they've done is made us stronger."
The unions initiated national bargaining to deliver parity of allowances across the sites.
NDU National Secretary Laila Harre said that the workers achieved parity across all three centres by the third year at a level equal to 95.4% of existing Palmerston North allowances.
The small difference will be protected for current workers in Palmerston North, she said.
"While this settlement results in three separate agreements we only got there because the employer failed completely in its mission to force workers to give up their national bargaining power."
"Three separate agreements were always an option, but our determination to bargain nationally was absolute and because of that we achieved our pay parity objective."
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union National Secretary Andrew Little said that Progressive gave up the fight in the face of overwhelming public support for the workers.
Also achieved were 5 weeks annual leave for those with 10 years service and a $1000 interest free loan for the returning workers.
Daniel Patea said that the most important win from the dispute is the sense of community and activism that now exists on the worksite.
