Anheuser stands by its contract offer; Teamsters still talking strike.

Associated Press - After a prolonged standoff with Anheuser Busch, the Teamsters are gearing up to strike the brewer before its peak summer brewing period ends, according to union officials. Some said a walkout could come as early as next week.

David Laughton, head of the union's division representing brewery workers, said through a spokeswoman that no strike deadline had been set. But Laughton called a meeting for Thursday of all the local leaders representing the 8,000 Teamsters at Anheuser Busch.

The meeting was called in response to pressure from local leaders who were frustrated when a strike wasn't called after a similar gathering before the Memorial Day weekend, according to several union officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Company negotiators have not budged from a contract proposal that was voted down by union members, and many union officials believe the best time to strike would be before the company begins brewing beer to be sold during the steamy month of August. "You never know until you get down to the wire," said Matt Witt, the union's communications director. "But we are making preparations."

Union officials said a strike would focus on trying to embarrass the company publicly by conducting protests at high-profile sporting events sponsored by Budweiser and other Anheuser Busch labels. "We're going to hit Busch where it hurts," one official said.

Company spokesman Steve LeResche said that company officials have met with union negotiators to explain their offer since the May 1 vote. "Our final offer is our final offer," he said. "We think it's an outstanding offer."

LeResche said that the company would turn to management, retirees and family members of current salaried workers to keep operations running in the event of a strike.

"Let me be very clear: We do not want a strike," he said. "But should, one occur, we will operate. ... We can do it full-speed."

Teamsters working at the brewer's 12 plants across the country are working under a contract that was twice extended before it expired March 29. The members have already authorized their national leaders to call a strike.

Money is not the pressing issue. At the end of the five-year contract offered by the company but rejected by union members, an average worker would have earned nearly $60,000 a year.

But the union objected to a proposed elimination of weekend premium pay, a company demand to hire an unlimited number of seasonal workers during peak periods and hiring changes that union officials contended would have created part-time jobs instead of fulltime positions.

They also were angered by the company's plan to collect hair samples from employees for an expanded drug testing program, a step union leaders felt would be an invasion of privacy.