Chula Vista

Striking machinists at Rohr Industries began their second day on the picket line today, while union officials waited for management’s next move in the strike that has hampered production at the company’s plants in Chula Vista and Riverside.

Rohr spokesman Dick Dalton said Monday that there were no new talks scheduled in the strike that began early Monday morning. But Ed Maudlin, a spokesman for the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said the union is hopeful that the stalled talks can be put back on track with the help of a federal mediator.

About 4,500 workers from Locals 755 and 964 struck the Rohr plants in a dispute over pay, health benefits and a company retirement plan. Union and company officials had been negotiating since November in an attempt to reach agreement on a new contract to replace the one that expired Monday.

Rohr asked non-striking employees to stay home on Monday, but Dalton said the company plans to resume operations at both plants with supervisory employees. The company may begin hiring non-union machinists if the strike drags on, Dalton said.

Tom Hurd, a machinists union spokesman, said he is doubtful that Rohr can keep the plants open with supervisory personnel.

“Frankly, I don’t think that supervisors have the shop skills that measure up to the quality work that is necessary in aerospace projects,” Hurd said. “It won’t take them long to find out that they need our skills to maintain a quality product. It’s a waiting game right now, until the company tells us they want to talk.”