Workers strikes at 16 Goodyear sites in US

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- More than 15 000 union workers at 16 Goodyear tyre and rubber product sites walked off the job on 5 Oct, claiming the company left them with no other option after lengthy contract negotiations.

The total includes more than 12 000 United Steelworkers (USW) members at 12 US manufacturing plants covered by the three-year master contract that expired 22 July.

The workers had been working on a day-to-day extension since 18 July, but on 2 Oct the USW gave the company the required 72-hour notice that it was terminating the extension.

Hourly employees at four Goodyear sites in Canada also are participating in the strike.

The two sides have been far apart on many issues since beginning contract talks in June, particularly on job security and retiree health care.

Goodyear´s offers declined to give full plant protection to all 12 US sites, and the union said it will not give in on the potential for closure at one or more plants -- like to be either the Gadsden, Alabama, Tyler, Texas, or Fayetteville, North Carolina tyre facilities.

The USW said it already gave up a lot in the 2003 master contract negotiations, which led to the closure of the company´s unionised Huntsville, Alabama, plant.

"We cannot allow additional plant closures after the sacrifices we made three years ago to help this company survive," said Ron Hoover, USW executive vice president and head of the union's Rubber/Plastics Industry Conference.

Goodyear said the union rejected a comprehensive proposal which would improve the company´s competitive position while maintaining a "substantial commitment to manufacturing in North America."

"We simply cannot accept a contract that knowingly creates a competitive disadvantage versus our foreign-owned competition and increases our cost disadvantage versus imports," said Jim Allen, Goodyear's chief negotiator.

The now-expired master contract between the USW and Goodyear covers workers at eight North American tyre plants and four Engineered Products sites.

In addition, the Steelworkers are striking at four Canadian sites: a hose product plant in Collingwood, Ontario; a power transmission belting factory in Owen Sound, Ontario; and logistics and commercial/retread centres in Toronto.

From Rubbber & Plastics News