Caterpillar has announced that 850 union members have accepted $16.9 million to settle a grievance about cost-of-living adjustments, the final issue of a labor dispute that began nearly a decade ago.

The settlement involves United Autoworker members at the manufacturer's distribution center in Morton, Ill., and a facility in Memphis, Ind. The 850 employees didn't participate in a 1991 strike because they held different agreements from 12,000 other striking workers, but lost cost-of-living adjustments.

Strikes against Caterpillar, Peoria, Ill. lasted six-plus years until March 1998.