CHICAGO (Reuters) - The main union at Caterpillar Inc. said its members voted on Sunday to reject the construction equipment maker's contract proposal, the second time this year the workers have voted against an offer.þþBut the United Auto Workers (UAW) union said its members would report to work as normal on Monday despite the vote.þþMore than 9,000 Caterpillar workers in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Tennessee have been working without a contract since UAW members rejected a previous company proposal on April 25.þþ``Our members have once again spoken,'' said UAW Vice President Cal Rapson. ``The UAW Central Bargaining Committee at Caterpillar will meet later this week.''þþThe rejection of the proposal was expected, as the UAW had made clear in advance that it was disappointed with the offer, especially its health-care provisions. Health insurance and coverage for workers has been a major issue in union bargaining in the United States this year.þþCaterpillar said it was disappointed workers rejected the offer, which it said included substantial pay and benefit improvements for workers and some 20,000 retirees covered by the contract.þþ``Despite the vote, employees remain on the job, and operations continue as usual,'' the company said in a statement released on its Web site.þþCaterpillar, the world's largest maker of construction equipment, has been posting record sales and profits in recent quarters as the improving U.S. economy boosts demand for its products.þþThe company's shares have fallen 13.58 percent this year to close at $71.75 on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange. þþþþ
Source: NY Times
