Picket Is Struck by Van at General Dynamics Plant

A striking machinist picketing a General Dynamics facility was hit by a supply van Friday morning, causing the first injury associated with the 6-day-old strike against the giant defense contractor.

A company spokesman said Steve Couvelif, 58, was hit at about 9 a.m. outside Air Force Plant 19, the facility operated by General Dynamics near the central post office. The spokesman said the van, which belonged to a subcontractor, was leaving the site.

“I don’t know if it was strike-related,” said Jack Isabel, the spokesman. “This was a supplier van going out the gate and, unfortunately, a picket got hit.”

Couvelif was treated at Harbor View Medical Center and released.

Replacing Strikers

Meanwhile, Isabel said General Dynamics intends Monday to bring in an undetermined number of newly hired workers to begin replacing 3,000 of those on strike. Isabel said the company has processed 1,800 applications that came in response to full-page newspaper ads.

For the first time since the strike started, negotiators for the company and the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Lodge 1125, met Friday at the Islandia Hotel with Clinton Brame of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Paul Pechter, a member of the union’s strike committee, said late Friday that the all-day session resulted in an amended company proposal, but that the union’s committee will recommend that members reject the offer in a vote scheduled for Sunday.

The vote is to begin at 10 a.m. at Al Bar Temple, located at California 163 and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Registration for the vote begins at 8 a.m.

The union struck after its membership rejected the company’s offer, saying the proposed wage increases and pension plan were inadequate. About 4,000 workers are on strike, affecting the Convair, Space Systems and Data Systems divisions.

Isabel said company officials were investigating the incident that occurred Friday morning. He said he did not know the name of the subcontracting firm that owned the van that hit the picketing worker.