NORANDA BRUNSWICK MINERS VOTE MONDAY ON CONTRACT
Noranda Inc said 1,100 unionized workers
at its 63 pct-owned Brunswick Mining and Smelter Corp lead-zinc
mine in New Brunswick would start voting Monday on a tentative
contract pact.
    Company official Andre Fortier said "We are hopeful that we
can settle without any kind of work interruption."
    Fortier added that Brunswick's estimated 500 unionized
smelter workers were currently meeting about a Noranda contract
proposal and would probably vote next week. The mine's contract
expires July 1 and the smelter's on July 21.
    The Brunswick mine produced 413,800 tonnes of zinc and
206,000 tonnes of lead last year at a recovery rate of 70.5 pct
zinc and 55.6 pct lead. Concentrates produced were 238,000
tonnes of zinc and 81,000 tonnes of lead.
 Reuter
