United Steelworkers Local 5306 represents nearly 300 workers at the Mercer company which produces heating systems. The union has three separate bargaining units.

Production and maintenance workers -- 250 are employed at the plant -- ratified their contract by a 135 to 105 vote while the plant's 11 clerical workers approved their contract by a 7 to 4 vote.

Those two units' previous contracts were set to expire midnight Tuesday.

Both contracts are for three years and call for 3 percent raises in the first year with 2.5 percent raises in the second and third years. Also, under their health insurance coverage workers now must use in-network doctors and hospitals, said Patty Brest, chairwoman of the production and maintenance workers' unit. Reaction among workers was mixed, she said.

"Some were happy with the contract and others weren't,'' Ms. Brest said. "But overall it was pretty calm.''

A third bargaining unit representing 19 technical workers rejected a contract proposal by a 2 to 15 vote. This unit, which represents such workers as draftsmen and technical engineers, has a current contract which isn't set to expire until Monday.

Stan Covert Jr., chairman of the technical workers' unit, said he hadn't had a chance to talk with all the unit's members but believed wages were the main issue. He planned to talk with company officials today about resuming negotiations.

"I'm sure we'll work something out,'' Covert said. "We have a good relationship with the company.''

The unit would be willing to extend the contract while negotiations continue, he added.

A Reznor spokesman didn't immediately return a phone message this morning.

Founded in 1888, Reznor's Mercer plant is among Mercer County's oldest manufacturers. Producing heaters and other air equipment for commercial and industrial uses, the products are marketed under the Reznor brand name. Reznor is a unit of Thomas & Betts Corp.