LABOR

Tentative Steel Pact Reached : Negotiators for Lukens Steel Co. and its union reached a tentative pact to end a 3-month-old strike against the small Pennsylvania steel company. The union’s 1,300 striking steelworkers had been seeking their first pay raise in nine years and improved health and retirement benefits. They were expected to vote this week on the four-year offer, which was approved Sunday. During the strike, the company said it operated at 85% of pre-strike production levels with no delays in filling orders by using 115 union members who crossed picket lines, 300 temporary employees and supervisors.