No striking workers at Wheatland Tube Co. crossed the picket line on Tuesday, which beat back rumors that a group planned to break ranks with the union.

Word spread like wildfire on the picket line Monday night and Tuesday morning that disgruntled members of United Steelworkers Local 1660 planned to return to work early Tuesday.

As it turned out, no union member entered the plant, said William Kerins, vice president of Wheatland Tube.

"It's (the plant) been open to them,'' Kerins said. "If people come through, our doors are open. We've certainly said that to employees from day one. We're certainly not locking them out.''

Kerins said he received a phone call from union members Monday and was asked if he knew of any striking workers who were planning to cross the picket line.

"I told them I hadn't heard anything,'' Kerins said.

Representing 470 production and maintenance workers at the company's Wheatland pipe and tube plant, Local 1660 struck the mill on April 28 after its previous contract expired. On Sunday, the union rank and file rejected a labor contract by a 230 to 184 vote on what the company called its "final offer.''

Nonunion supervisors for more than a month have been producing small amounts of pipe and tube products at the mill.

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