According to A. C. Urffer. personnel director at the plant, the workers, who are members of Amalgamated Local 301 of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, went on strike at the expiration of the present two-years contract.
The company said the union had asked for an increase of 25 cents an hour in the new contract.
"During many weeks of negotiations involving a review of terms of the expiring contract, the company agreed to make a number of changes at the request of the union with regard to so-called non-economic issues," Urffer said, "In addition, it offered a two-years agreement providing for a minimum increase of 6 cents per hour this year and an automatic further increase of 4 cents per hour next year.
"The economic package offered by the company also included a very substantial increase in each of the base rates of all of the job classifications as well as several other economic concessions."
No union official was available for comment.