The members of United Steelworkers Local 1537 were not allowed back to work at Latrobe Specialty Steel today after the company rejected their offer to end the nine-day strike.

Last night, the union members voted to go back to work under terms of the former contract and stopped picketing.

The company rejected the offer, which the union is now saying has turned the strike into a lockout.

The company had offered a contract, which company spokeswoman Lisa Pierce said is now off the table, that would have given the workers a $6,000 bonus the first year and $5,000 bonuses each of the next two years, but would pay new employees a lower wage that would slowly be increased until the workers were earning the same as current union workers in April of 2011.

The union opposed the two-tier wage level and wanted wage increases instead of lump sum payments.