UAW, US tyre makers to begin Master Contract talks on 1 June

Rubber & Plastics News staff report

Pittsburgh, US - Initial bargaining sessions for the 2009 tyre industry master contracts are set to begin the week of 1 June.

United Steelworkers negotiating committees will start talks 1 June in Cincinnati with representatives of Goodyear and in Lexington, Kentucky, with Michelin North America's BFGoodrich unit. A week later on 8 June, contract discussions will begin in Louisville, Kentucky, between the USW and Bridgestone Americas.

The current BFG and Bridgestone contracts, covering about 3200 and 4500 workers, respectively, expire 18 July. The Goodyear pact, covering about 11500 workers, lapses 22 July.

The Pittsburgh-based USW said it will emphasize job and plant security, investments at unionized plants, retiree benefits, tiered wage scales and health safety in this year's negotiations. Michelin announced in April it will close sometime this fall its Opelika, Alabama, tyre plant, one of three sites in the BFG chain where the USW represents the hourly workers.

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Master contract talks set for tyre industry from Rubber & Plastics News (a Crain publication)