Terms of a three-year labor contract being offered to striking workers at Wheatland Tube Co. include wage hikes, reduced benefits for new hires and -- for the first time -- premium sharing for health insurance.

Details of the company's "final offer" were outlined Monday for striking United Steelworkers Local 1660. Union workers struck the company's Wheatland pipe and tube plant more than four months ago after their previous contract expired. Local 1660 represents 470 production and maintenance workers.

On Thursday company and union negotiators cobbled together a labor contract which union officials called the best possible package they could negotiate. That was the charge the membership gave its bargaining committee before the strike began April 28.

However, Mike Munger, Local 1660 president, said he and other members of the bargaining committee were bringing the contract offer to the membership without any recommendations.

"We're leaving it up to the members to decide,'' Munger said. "If they want to stay out, we'll stay out. If they want to go back to work, we'll go back to work.''

It is hard to gauge the mood of workers on the contract, Munger said.

"It's kind of split,'' he said. "Everybody wants to go back to work. There's some people that need to go back to work and there's some that don't.''

Local 1660 will inform workers and take their questions at an informational meeting scheduled for 8 a.m. Sunday at the Farrell Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. For a ratification vote to be held, a motion must be made and approved by a majority of the members, Munger said. If that passes, a secret-ballot vote will be held.

Both Munger and Bill Kerins, vice president at Wheatland Tube, were reluctant to call the offer a tentative agreement.

"Bill Kerins told us this is on the table now and this is the contract that will be on the table two months from now,'' Munger said. "He said that was it. That's why we decided to bring it back to the members. If they think he's bluffing, they'll vote it down. If they think he's serious, they'll approve it.''

Kerins confirmed that the company will not make another offer.

"This is it,'' he said.

Sticking points in the contract were wages, health insurance for current employees, retirees' insurance andthe new hiring program.

Health insurance premiums in particular proved to be a hot-button issue for both sides. This is the first contract which calls for workers to pay a portion of those premiums. The company said the co-payments are needed because health insurance costs are spiraling.

"Health care is out of control,'' Munger said. "If there isn't a national health-care movement, I don't think there will be a business left in this country.''

New hiring policies sought by the company were difficult for union bargainers. Under the offer, future hires will get fewer sick time benefits and instead of having a choice between a defined benefit or a cash balance pension plan they will only be offered a 401(k) plan with a company match, Munger said.

This has been the longest strike in Wheatland Tube's history and Kerins said he just wants to see it end.

"We think it's a fair contract for both sides,'' Kerins said. "Hopefully, we'll bring this to a conclusion.''

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