Union to Vote Today on New Contract at Rohr Plants

Adding an element of suspense to the vote this morning by 4,500 striking machinists union members on a new contract offer by Rohr Industries, union officials have refused to reveal whether they favor the aerospace company’s new terms until just before the vote.

Union members will meet in San Bernardino and San Diego at 9 a.m. to vote on the new contract. The San Diego meeting will be held at the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park. The machinists striking Riverside Rohr facilities will meet in the National Orange Show pavilion in San Bernardino.

Rohr spokesman Dick Dalton said the company is hopeful that the new offer will be accepted, ending the walkout that is now in its 12th day. He estimated that regular work schedules could be resumed within 24 hours after an agreement is reached.

Dalton said the company had sweetened its pre-strike offer by agreeing to return to existing cost-of-living payment methods, in which the additional pay is included in weekly paychecks. The company had earlier proposed a deferred cost-of-living payment plan. He said the company had also “significantly increased” its pension benefit offer.

Company and union officials started meeting with a federal negotiator Monday. On Tuesday night, union officials decided to present the company’s latest proposal to members for a vote. Union officials, however, did not agree to recommend acceptance of the company’s offer, according to Bob Redman, spokesman for Local 755 in Chula Vista, the company’s headquarters. The recommendation, if any is made, will come at this morning’s membership meeting, he said.

Union negotiators continued meetings with company officials and federal mediator Clinton Brame on Wednesday to work out remaining differences. Redman said that three issues were unsettled: amnesty for strikers arrested Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 for rock throwing and other incidents around Rohr plants in Riverside, improvement in automatic wage increases for newer workers and deletion of Saturday and Sunday shifts from regular workweek scheduling.

Dalton said union and company representatives met with the federal mediator for about 15 hours Monday and resumed talks Tuesday afternoon. The two sides agreed to submit the new offer to union members at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The strike began when the three-year contract expired Feb. 16 at one minute after midnight.

The Chula Vista plant employs 2,300 workers; an additional 2,200 work at three Riverside plants.