Bobcat Co. presented striking employees here with a new contract offer on Wednesday.

Jim Vukelic, an attorney for the United Steelworkers union Local 566, said he could not discuss details of the company's offer. He said it would be presented to the union's membership on Friday morning in Mandan.

"It's different," Vukelic said.

A Bobcat spokeswoman did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. Earlier, Wendy Bost said, "We have, in fact, resumed a dialogue with the union, and we are hopeful that we can move past the current impasse."

Union members went on strike after their four-year contract expired and negotiators failed to reach agreement on a new contract.

Bobcat's offer before the Oct. 7 strike was an approximate 3 percent average annual increase, and $20 less a month for projected health insurance costs, according to the union.

The workers at the construction equipment plant said they were seeking 5 percent average annual pay raises and lower, out-of-pocket health insurance expenses, among other things.

Dave Kemnitz, president of the North Dakota AFL-CIO, said union negotiators met with company officials early Wednesday afternoon. He said the talks began after an invitation from the company.

Vukelic said company and union negotiators met for more than four hours.

Steve Chmielewski, president Local 566, did not immediately return telephone calls Wednesday seeking comment.

The union represents about 780 of the 1,100 workers at the Bismarck plant. Salaried, nonunion workers have been bused to the plant to keep it running.

West Fargo-based Bobcat, known for its skid-steer loaders, is a unit of Ingersoll-Rand Co. Ltd., an equipment manufacturer. The plants in Bismarck and Gwinner make machinery for light construction. Bobcat employs more than 2,600 people in North Dakota.

"They have a very strong union," Kemnitz said. He said less than 1 percent of the nonsalaried workers at the Bismarck plant elected not to join the union.

More than 90 percent of the striking workers have participated in picketing, which has gone on round the clock since workers voted to strike, Kemnitz said.

About 950 union workers at the company's sister plant in Gwinner were laid off for one week beginning Monday.

Tom Ricker, president of United Steelworkers union Local 560, said union workers in Gwinner were slated to begin labor negotiations today.

Bobcat officials have said the Gwinner layoffs were to "adjust production" and were unrelated to the Bismarck strike.

Ricker said a rally was planned today to support bargaining committee members during contract negotiations for workers in the southeastern North Dakota city.

"We obviously give 100 percent support for Bismarck workers but this rally is just for Gwinner," Ricker said. "We have a separate contract and we negotiate our own contract."

The four-year contract for Local 560 expires in December, Ricker said.

"We are negotiating our contract based on performance in Gwinner over the life of the last contract," Ricker said. "Quarter after quarter, they've seen record profits down here."

Union officials say the pay for Bobcat workers in Gwinner ranges from $11 per hour to $21 per hour, and is comparable to the wages for employees at the Bismarck plant.

About 50 workers from Gwinner attended a rally for the Bismarck workers on Tuesday, Ricker said. The union representing the Gwinner workers also presented the Bismarck workers with a $10,000 check to show support, union officials said.