Deal reached at Noranda’s aluminum division

With more than 500 workers walking the picket lines at its Horne copper smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Que., Noranda (nrd-t) has announced that employees at its aluminum primary products division voted 63% in favour of a new 5-year collective agreement.

The deal takes effect Sept. 1, a day after the current contract runs out. It includes wage increases in each of the years, improved pension benefits, plus some changes in health care benefits.

The complex, situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River, 8 km south of New Madrid, Mo., produces 250,000 tonnes of primary aluminum products annually. The operation is staffed by 1,100 workers, of which 862 are represented by the United Steel Workers of America, local 7686.

On June 18, more than 500 employees at the Horne smelter walked off the job to force action on demands concerning sub-contracting. Noranda has since declared force majeure on receipt of copper concentrate from other companies.

The company says it is waiting to hear from the union. The union told Reuters: “They will wait for a while,” adding that it was up to the company to come up with a new offer.

The employees’ contract at Horne expired in February. The last time the operations had to endure a strike was in 1986; it lasted three months.

The smelter is being run by 130 employees at well below half of its normal capacity.

In 2001, the smelter produced 188,000 tonnes of copper.