Unionized employees at Noranda‘s (NRD-T) Bell Allard zinc mine in Matagami, Quebec, have voted 80 % in favour of a new three-year collective agreement.
The new deal includes a 45-per-hour wage increase in the first year plus another 90 per hour in each of the remaining two years. It also includes improvements to the benefits and retirement programs.
The previous contract for the 186 employees, represented by the United Steelworkers of America, local 6131, expired on November 17, 2001.
The Bell Allard mine began production in 1999. Based on reserves of 3.3 million tonnes grading about 13% zinc and 1.5% copper, at least 175,000 tonnes of zinc and copper concentrates will come from the mine in each of its five years of operation. The zinc concentrate will be sent to the CEZinc refinery in Valleyfield for refining, while the copper concentrate will be sent to the Horne smelter in Rouyn-Noranda.
The mine is running at design capacity of 2,000 tonnes per day and employs 265 people.
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