New Hampshire Ball Bearings (USA) Laconia plant reached a new three-year contract with its union workers, ending a four-day lockout.

The previous contract had expired, and last Saturday workers voted down the company's latest offer; NHBB locked them out the following day. All 345 hourly workers, represented by the United Steelworkers of America, were affected.

NHBB waited until Tuesday evening to put a new offer on the table, according to eBearing's sources. This revised offer not only scrapped a contentious seniority-based health care cost sharing plan, but also amended its no-raises stance. Reportedly, the final contract offers 3% per year over the next three years and keeps the current flat schedule for health care payments.

USWA Laconia local President, George Griffin, said the new contract's real sticking point had been that proposed change to the health care cost sharing system, basing it on seniority.

While seniority-based issues are often behind union - management friction, in this case the union fought against the plan to vary an employee's health insurance contribution by their level of seniority.

The Laconia, New Hampshire plant is home to the company's Astro division; the Hitech division plant in Peterborough, New Hampshire was not affected.

NHBB's Astro division is the leading U.S. supplier of spherical bearings, rod ends, sleeves, slotted entry bearings and sub-assemblies for use in aerospace applications such as helicopters, airplanes, jet engines, missiles, satellites, landing gear and other high-precision applications. The plant's equipment allows production of precision units over 22" in diameter, and from various materials including titanium, brass, stainless and high carbon steel.

NHBB is a division of NMB (USA) Inc., itself a division of Minebea Co., Ltd. (Japan). Minebea is the world's largest manufacturer of miniature and precision instrument bearings, with 39 facilities in 10 countries and a 65% world market share of ball bearings 22mm and under.