Employees at Noranda's CCR copper refinery ratify new three-year collective agreement

Employees at Noranda's CCR copper refinery ratify new three-year
collective agreement 


MONTREAL-EAST, Quebec, May 30  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Noranda Inc. announced
today that employees at its CCR copper refinery in Montreal-East, Quebec, have
voted 83% in favour of accepting the terms of a new three-year collective
agreement. The employees are members of the United Steelworkers of America -
Local 6887.

The new agreement will expire on May 30, 2007 and includes the following terms:

  -  Wage increases of $0.55 in the first year and $0.50 in each of the
     following years
  -  Provides the Company greater flexibility in scheduling its tankhouse
     operations to maximize output
  -  Greater emphasis on employee qualifications and skills when filling
     job vacancies
  -  Enhancements and modifications to the pension and benefits programs



"These negotiations presented some difficult challenges for both the Company
and the union," stated Claude Ferron, General Manager. "Both parties worked
hard to agree on changes to improve the operation's overall competitive
position and to ensure its viability in the future."

Noranda's Canadian Copper Refinery ("CCR"), located in Montreal-East, Quebec,
refines anode copper from Noranda's Horne and Altonorte smelters, as well as
other unrefined copper and precious metals from Noranda and third party
sources. In 2003, CCR produced 235,000 tonnes of copper cathodes, approximately
1.1 million ounces of gold, 30.3 million ounces of silver and other
by-products, including selenium, tellurium, copper sulphate, nickel sulphate
and a concentrate of platinum group metals.

Noranda Inc. is a leading copper and nickel company with investments in
fully-integrated zinc and aluminum assets. The Company's primary focus is the
identification and development of world-class copper and nickel mining
deposits. It employs 15,000 people at its operations and offices in 18
countries and is listed on The New York Stock Exchange and The Toronto Stock
Exchange (NRD). 

DATASOURCE: Noranda Inc.



CONTACT: http://www.noranda.com/; Dale Coffin, Director, External

Communications, Tel: [phone] (Office), [phone] (Cell),

Copyright