AUBURN -- A close vote tipped towards accepting the second contract offered by McQuay International.

Members of the Paper, Allied Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers Union gave the nod to accept the agreement after parties made concessions in a contract offered last week.

Michael Bellmore, the union's international representative, would not give the specifics of the vote, but said he counted 343 ballots in a slight majority to accept the agreement.

Voters turned down the first proposed contract last week. Changes were minimal, Bellmore said.

"Well, they looked where we were before, and where we were now," Bellmore said.

Bellmore refused to divulge the agreement's details.

Union workers vote on contracts every three years.

This year's negotiations led to wage increases and changes in the vacation policy from the agreement approved in March 2004.

"One of the goals of this bargaining agreement was to clarify language (from the previous contract). I think we did that. It read better, more clean, with less gray area," Bellmore said.

McQuay in Auburn manufactures heating, ventilation, and air conditioning components.

The union's last contract was approved with a 163-139 vote. It changed workers schedules to 10-hour shifts four times a week and gave 3 percent raises for each year of the agreement. Workers took three votes to agree to the contract.