Tentative deal reached at David Bell gold mine

TORONTO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The union representing workers at the David Bell gold mine in northern Ontario, a joint venture of Teck Cominco Ltd (TCKb.TO) and Barrick Gold (ABX.TO), has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, a union representative said on Friday.

The agreement was reached on Wednesday and members will vote on it next week, said Herb Daniher of the United Steelworkers.

Negotiations surrounded the closure agreement for the mine, which has some 30 months left before it is decommissioned.

The previous three-year deal, which expired a month ago, covered 100 miners and staff.

Because a provincial mediator was requested earlier this month to sit in on negotiations, an immediate work stoppage is unlikely even if union members vote down the tentative agreement, Daniher told Reuters.

The mine is part of the Hemlo mine complex about 350 km (220 miles) east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It produced just under 100,000 ounces of gold last year.

($1=$1 Canadian) (Reporting by Jonathan Spicer)