BARRE, Vt. (AP) – A strike by steelworkers has shut down the Rock of Ages Corp. granite quarries and manufacturing plant.

After voting to reject the company’s contract offer on Saturday, the 34 members of the United Steelworkers of America Local No. 4 went on strike and set up a picket line Monday.

The strike vote came amid a flurry of ratification votes by other bargaining units in the area’s granite industry.

A total of 10 contracts were considered by unionized granite workers. The only unit to reject those contracts was Steelworkers Local 4.

Fred McGrath, a top official with the union local, said Rock of Ages’ saw plant, press roll division and main manufacturing operation are directly affected by a vote. He said union members were dissatisfied with the wage and benefits proposals.

“It comes down to the financials,” he said, declining to elaborate.

McGrath declined to speculate on how the strike vote would affect operations at Rock of Ages. Another Steelworkers unit and members of the Granite Cutters Association refused to cross picket lines after easily approving company offers on Saturday.

Rock of Ages’ spokesman and lead negotiator Bob Pope said he was disappointed by the strike.

A strike by the same bargaining unit three years ago lasted two days, but Pope said he was feeling “more disheartened” this time and offered no prediction how long the work stoppage word last.

“Until we know what’s bothering them it’s hard to say,” he said. “We have yet to hear from the union about what the real bone of contention is.”

Pope said the company had offered to raise wages $1.65 per hour during the three-year term of the contract and to increase its pension plan contributions.

Workers would have to begin paying co-payments for some services under the company health insurance plan, including paying for prescription drugs.

AP-ES-04-28-03 1235EDT