UAW workers reject Oshkosh pact for second time

[hue]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/09/us-oshkosh-uaw-idUSTRE7980XT20111009

(Reuters) - Workers at defense contractor Oshkosh Corp turned down a new five-year contract offer from the company for a second time in little more than a week on Saturday even after union leaders narrowed differences between the two sides in recent days.

About 63 percent of hourly employees working in northeast Wisconsin plants represented by the United Auto Workers union voted to reject the contract, UAW Local 578 President Nick Nitschke said in an email to Reuters.

The company's desire to work with the UAW on future hiring of temporary workers remains a key sticking point, he said.

The UAW and Oshkosh plan to resume bargaining in the near future. Oshkosh spokesman John Daggett said in a statement that production employees will report to work on Monday at their normal work schedules and there will be no interruption in production.

UAW-represented workers at Oshkosh, totaling 3,000 more than employees, rejected Oshkosh's first contract offer on September 30 even though that meant losing a $2,000 signing bonus.