Business news for Mon, 17 Dec 2007 & with word contract. 9 news.

The Florida Orchestra announced that an agreement has been struck between its board and the Musicians' Union, AFM Florida Gulf Coast Local 427-721. Effective Dec. 10, the collective bargaining contract lays out a three-year plan introduced by Orchestra President/CEO Michael Pastreich that will affect musicians, board and staff members alike.

(AP) -- A seven-week-long strike of International Truck & Engine Corp. ended Sunday after 3,700 members of the United Auto Workers voted to approve a new contract, officials said. The new labor agreement takes effect immediately and runs until Oct. 1, 2010, the company said in a release. Workers ...

About 7,000 Safeway workers in Alberta are ready to walk off the job if contract talks with the company fail.

Chevron Corp. has refused to put more money into a biodiesel plant in Galveston, breaching its contract and forcing the plant's owners to "dramatically" scale back expansion plans, a lawsuit alleges.

The N.C. Coalition on Donation has hired local marketing company Corder Philips to boost its campaign to increase organ and tissue donotions.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Rio Tinto said it's going to invest $300 million in the development of Eagle, a high-grade nickel and copper mine in Michigan. Eagle, in northwest Marquette County near the City of Marquette, will be the only primary nickel mine in the U.S. and first production is expected to begin in late 2009. Eagle is projected to deliver 16,000 metric tons of nickel per year over seven years until 2016. It will also produce valuable co-products of copper, platinum, palladium and cobalt. Rio Tinto is also in final contract negotiation to develop a nickel mine at Sulawesi in Indonesia, with an initial operation of 46,000 metric tons per year with first production commencing by 2015.

City Manager Wayne Cauthen seemed to have all the cards as he negotiated a new contract, but his drawn-out play for more money may have elicited this mayoral decree: Cash in your severance chips.

A seven-week strike of International Truck and Engine Corp. ended Sunday after 3,700 members of the United Auto Workers voted to approve a new contract, officials said.

Navistar International Inc. said the 3,700 rank-and-file members of the United Auto Workers voted Sunday to accept a new three-year contract, ending a seven-week strike at the Warrenville truck and engine maker.