Agreement Is Reached in Strike at Convair

Striking machinists will vote today on a tentative agreement reached by union negotiators with General Dynamics’ Convair Division, but the new contract differs little from others rejected by the workers in July.

Convair spokesman Jack Isabel said the new agreement was reached Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. after a negotiating session that began Tuesday morning.

International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but Isabel said union officials will recommend ratification.

Similar Offer Rejected Earlier

According to Isabel, union negotiators agreed Tuesday to the wage and benefits package proposed by the company in its “best and final offer” July 14. The package includes lump sum increases that total $4,800 over the three years of the contract. In July, the union had called for general wage increases and had rejected the company’s lump sum offer as inadequate.

The machinists rejected the company’s proposals in two separate votes July 18 and July 26. They struck July 19.

The Convair Division in San Diego manufactures the Tomahawk cruise missile, the Atlas Centaur guided missile and aircraft parts for McDonnell Douglas.

Despite the new agreement, “a major area of concern” to both sides involves the return of striking workers whose jobs were filled by non-union workers hired by Convair during the three-week strike, Isabel said. Union spokesman Tom Roberts said last week there would be no strike agreement unless all union workers went back to work.

Recall List Started

But according to a joint statement issued by both sides and read by Isabel, the union and Convair agreed on the “creation of a recall list for an undetermined number of workers for whom no jobs are currently available.”

During the dispute, both sides agreed that seniority and job security were a main sticking point. The union had rejected separate seniority lists for Convair and the company’s space systems division.

On Wednesday, Isabel said both sides agreed on a complex proposal that creates one seniority list but gives workers with 10 years of seniority unlimited bumping rights at both the Convair and the space systems division.

A worker with 10 years of seniority or more could bump a worker with less seniority in either unit whenever he is laid off, Isabel said. A worker with less than 10 years’ seniority could only bump within his division, and a worker with less than 30 months’ seniority would have no bumping rights, he added.

However, if a worker is currently laid off, he is eligible for recall in seniority order at either Convair or the space systems division.

1,100 Crossed Picket Lines

Throughout the strike, the union was hampered by union machinists who crossed the picket line as the dispute dragged on. Isabel said more than 1,100 of the roughly 4,000 machinists who struck crossed the picket line. Convair also hired 556 non-union workers, he added.

The combination of new workers and machinists who crossed the picket line apparently put pressure on the union to accept Convair’s offer.

On Wednesday, Isabel said the company’s work force was up to 43% of capacity. Last week, company officials announced plans to hire 60 workers a day.