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Union leaders cheered a new labor agreement announced Wednesday at Hormel Foods Corp. even though it allows the company in limited cases to stretch some shifts beyond eight hours without paying overtime. The employees will work an average of 40 hours a week, but on some weeks may be scheduled for more, with compensating time off in other weeks. The nearly 4,000 employees at five Hormel food plants across the country will see their salaries rising an average 10 percent over the next four years. The United Food and Commercial Workers union heralded it as a "breakthrough contract" because of the salary increases, improvements to health care coverage and greater pension security.