A tentative agreement was reached Wednesday to end a union lockout at Milbank Manufacturing Co.

A joint statement from United Steel Workers Local No. 13-07 and the company said meetings this week with a federal mediator resulted in agreement, pending ratification by the union membership.

The lockout, which began Monday at the Kansas City electrical equipment manufacturing plant, affected 194 union members whose contract expired that day. The two parties had been unable to reach agreement on a new contract.

Union members will vote on the proposal Friday. Pickets were withdrawn Wednesday.

The main disagreement had concerned proposed cost increases for union members in the employer-sponsored health insurance plan.

Lavon Winkler, Milbank CEO, said he believed negotiators reached “an equitable agreement, and I’m happy to be here.” He deferred further comment on the contract until union members voted on it.

John Wiseman, subdistrict director for the union, said he expected the contract to be approved. He, too, declined to be more specific until after the vote, but he said the union “was able to accomplish its goal of not adding unreasonable increases to what our members have to pay for health insurance.”