After four long months, a lockout is over and more than 90 International Fiber Corporation employees will return to work in Urbana on Thursday.

The workers have spent the past two days in safety training. Some of them met with company managers for the first time in months.

The employees said they are ready for a fresh start.

"You hope for the best, is what you do," said Mike Chapman. "Very good news. Ready to go back to work."

On Thursday, Chapman will pack his lunch and go to work for the first time in four months. However, he said it has been no summer vacation.

"Lots of stress over all this," said Chapman. "There were many of us looking for other jobs."

The workers have not been allowed inside the company since last April, when the union and International Fiber Company could not agree on a contract and company leaders locked them out.

Mike Chapman said, ""We were at the picket line day in, day out, and all we saw was other people coming in and doing our jobs."

Chapman said the company will now give a 1.5 percent wage increase after the first year. Earlier they were offering just a half percent. He said the insurance packages are much better too and International Fiber has promised not to contract out to non-union workers unless everyone agrees that they need extra help.

"Actually, it turned out really good," said Chapman. "After the meeting we had with them at the Marriott, I feel that they're loyal and willing to look at it as a lesson learned for all parties involved and move on."

The first shift reports to work at 7 a.m. Thursday. Employees will vote on the new contract next Tuesday.