WORKERS AGAIN REJECT ANHEUSER-BUSCH OFFER.

Byline: Chris Roush Bloomberg News

Anheuser-Busch Cos.'s contract offer to more than 8,000 Teamsters employees working at its breweries was voted down for the second time, clearing the way for a potential strike against the world's largest brewer.

Teamsters officials scheduled meetings Thursday night and today to decide what action to take next. If a strike is called, it could affect production at the company's Van Nuys brewery, in addition to other facilities across the country.

The Teamsters and Anheuser-Busch officials began negotiating in November. The old contract expired Feb. 28 but was extended one month during talks. The company presented a contract offer in late March, but the Teamsters voted that one down by a 3-to-1 margin. After that the Teamsters and the brewer held more talks, this time with a mediator.

``This contract does not maintain the good jobs America needs,'' said Dave Laughton, director of the Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Conference for the Teamsters.

The Teamsters declined to release the latest vote count. In May, 5,447 members voted against the contract offer, while 1,652 voted for it.

Steve LeResche, Anheuser-Busch spokesman, said a union official told him the vote was 54 percent against the contract and 46 percent for it.

``The reason the union is not releasing the numbers is that it's a close vote,'' said LeResche. ``We're pleased that there's been a significant increase in the number of employees who want the contract.''

John Kaestner, Anheuser-Busch's senior group director, said from its Van Nuys brewery Thursday that Anheuser-Busch will continue to operate as usual with salaried employees if the workers go on strike.

``That plan was ready to go since the early part of this year,'' Kaestner said. ``The bottom line is we do not want a strike.''

Union members in Van Nuys voted against ratification by a margin of about 3-to-1, said Ed Kinsbursky, chief shop steward for brewing for Teamsters Local 896. He didn't have exact numbers and didn't know how many Local 896 members voted, but said the plant has about 700 members.

Kinsbursky said the vote shows that Anheiser-Busch couldn't ``ram (the contract) down our throats'' and the union will wait to see whether the company agrees to more negotiations.

``In all honesty we've put up with a lot of nonsense from the company,'' he said. ``Now the ball's in their court.''

Anheuser-Busch's offer would increase base pay to $48,460 a year, a $5,000 increase, during 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 $48.30 an hour.

The Teamsters argue that Anheuser-Busch is refusing to improve some pension benefits and is insisting on subcontracting some jobs.

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

In addition to the Van Nuys facility, Anheuser-Busch has breweries in Baldwinsville, N.Y.; Cartersville, Ga.; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Collins, Colo.; Houston; Jacksonville, Fla.; Fairfield, Calif.; Merrimack, N.H.; Newark, N.J.; St. Louis; and Williamsburg, Va.

Daily News Staff Writer Enrique Rivero contributed to this story.