A look back: March 25, 1998

Members of the United Mine Workers of America employed at the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company operations near Tamaqua voted Tuesday to accept a new four-year contract.

The acceptance of the pact concluded just two weeks of negotiations between the union and LC&N management.

Reportedly, members of Local 1571, which represents workers at the breaker, approved the new deal by a 47-16 vote. Members of Local 4004, who represent strip mining workers, approved the pact by a 77-31 vote.

A union negotiator said details of the pact were not made public but the contract calls for increases in wages and benefits for the workers.