BUSCH CONTRACT MULLED; STRIKE POSSIBLE IN VAN NUYS.

Byline: Anthony Massucci Bloomberg News

Unionized workers at Anheuser-Busch Cos.' Van Nuys plant said they're examining the company's latest contract offer but won't strike before a rank-and-file meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

Anheuser-Busch Cos. faces a national strike after Teamsters union members voted against the company's final offer to pay them about $23.30 an hour.

Teamsters at the St. Louis-based brewer voted 10 to 1 to authorize a strike if they cannot agree on a contract by Sunday. The final offer will be put to a membership vote by a mail ballot, and the negotiating committee will urge the Teamster members to vote it down, the union said.

Anheuser-Busch's offer would increase base pay to $48,460, a $5,000 increase, over the five years of the contract. Benefits for the employees would rise to $25 an hour, from $22, bringing the total including wages, benefits and overtime to $48 an hour.

The current contract expires Sunday, after it was extended from Feb. 28. The Teamsters began negotiating with the brewer in November on a new contract covering 8,000 workers at 12 breweries across the U.S, including the Van Nuys plant.

``Our members are ready to do what it takes to fight for good jobs,'' said David Laughton, director of the union's brewery and soft drink workers conference.

Jobs covered by the Teamsters contract include maintenance workers, packers and shippers, brewers and quality assurance.

At the Van Nuys plant, assistant shop steward Jeff Calzada said Teamsters Local 896 members are waiting to hear from union attorneys about the offer and are keeping an open mind.

``We've voted to authorize a strike and held practice pickets, but we're not sure what were going to do,'' he said.