Goodyear workers approve new 4-year contract
Published: September 19, 2009
OLUMBUS, Ohio - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. workers approved a new contract that will prevent the potential closing of a half-dozen plants in the U.S. in the next four years, union leaders said Saturday.
The United Steelworkers said the agreement covers about 10,300 workers. Voting concluded at seven plants late Friday.
The contract requires minimum staffing levels at six of the seven Goodyear plants and prevents the company from shifting production to any facility not represented by the steelworkers union. It also calls for Goodyear, based in Akron, Ohio, to invest $600 million at the plants, keeping them up-to-date.
“This agreement reflects the commitment of Goodyear and the USW to continue to work together to achieve our common goal of world-class competitiveness,“ said Richard Kramer, Goodyear’s chief operating officer.
The company planned to discuss the deal with investors during a Monday conference call.
The new contract includes wage and benefit increases, improved pensions for some workers, and continuation of previous cost-of-living provisions for all workers, the union said.
The deal protects factories in Akron, Ohio; Gadsden, Ala.; Buffalo, N.Y; Topeka, Kan.; Danville, Va; and Fayetteville, N.C.
A plant in Union City, Tennessee, which employs about 1,700 workers, was the only one not protected. A local agreement negotiated in April provided for as many as 600 workers there to receive buyouts, the union said.
The Tennessee factory has been severely hurt by the economic downturn and an influx of cheap tires from China, Steelworkers spokesman Gerald Dickey said. Chinese imports represented almost 17 percent of the U.S. tire market last year.
President Barack Obama has ordered steep, additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese tires for three years, including 35 percent in the first year. The increases come on top of the current 4 percent tariff.
The Steelworkers union hopes the additional tariffs will bring work back to the Tennessee plant, Dickey said. If that happens and the economy turns around, negotiators there could seek the protected status enjoyed by other plants, he said.
Goodyear, the biggest U.S.-based tiremaker and third largest globally, has said the agreement will improve the company’s productivity and flexibility.
The company operates more than 60 plants in 25 countries and has nearly 70,000 employees.
Goodyear reported in July that it lost $221 million in the second quarter as upheaval in the U.S. auto industry and the global recession cut sales 25 percent from a year ago. The company launched 19 new products in the second quarter, cut costs by another $200 million and eliminated 1,700 jobs.
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Reader Reactions
“Put up or shut up”? I’ve got nothing to put up.
What sympathy that I do have about your problem evaporates when you do you own form of pollution on this website.
Southside central, every user name I have is the real me, none are used as a pseudonym. Sometimes when I log on, it says the user name is not in the database. So I go to another one. It cycles back around.
As far as tires and the dump on my property, why dont’ you come on out here and look it over. Either put up or shut up. The invitation is open to ANYONE, any weekend. My phone number is in the book. I live on Dowdy Lane on the left, back side of the field.
As far as tires, they don’t worry me much. It is the 55 gallon barrels of chemicals that were dumped into the ground. I do have the original criminal reports. I have plenty of documentation, piles and piles.
How much banbury slurry are you willing to drink? Even 1 drop per gallon, or glass of water. You can see the petroleum washing out of the ground.
This is not a trivial matter. I am very close to being forced to retain counsel. That is not what I want to do. If Goodyear would contact me, we could resolve this very easily. I am not looking for money, nor a lawsuit.
Come on out and take a tour, wear some boots. Check out www dot bryantfarmdrumdump dot blogspot dot com
I only want to protect my family. Nothing more. I am waiting for you to drink the chemicals. My fathers well was poisoned with tetrachloroethylene, a degreaser used in the banbury. He is dead now, from cancer. Two others who drank from that well have had cancer, or tumors. This has been pure he!! for my family, and is something I do not wish on anyone else.
If you don’t know all the facts, you make yourself out to look silly by running off at the mouth. Get educated. On the facts.
There is an strong chance that this contract will be the final one that the Goodyear folks will ever be bothered with. Goodyear is poised to take their manufacturing off-shore, which of course means China.
Sad to say, The U.S.A. is doomed because of our greedy stupid leaders like Bush(1 & 2), Clinton and Obama.
Obama looking out for his Union supporters isn’t he. I hear the arrogants from Goodyear workers and think, You will be Next,hope you can handle being poor and not blow your brains out.Enjoy it while you can and keep Blaming us ignorant Danvillians.
Yahoo Headlines has a story on there right now titled “Ten Big Companies That Are Veering Toward Bankruptcy”. Goodyear made the list at number 6. This is what was said…
“6. Goodyear
Demand for Goodyear tires has sunk, and the company is saddled with massive debt and pension obligations.
It doesn’t help that The United Steelworkers union prevents the company from proper cost control by forcing factories to stay open.
Shareholders have to wonder how much value will be left of the company after bondholders and the union members have their way.“
Just passing along the info.
Eeltee, I am glad to have my job. I know that it would do fine without me. i don’t care if it closes. I still am wondering what it is that we are being so greedy about? You don’t have a clue. What? You probably work at Wally World, Taco Bell? Yeah that’s it. What would you do if after starting at $7/hr they come to you and say eeltee, we are going to take half of your pay and take so on and so forth? Please dude wise up. We aren’t greedy. There are some really good hard working people out there that would rather put up a fight and do what it takes to keep what we have. That day sadly has come and gone. People today have no backbone and would just be fine with whatever.That is one reason we are in the predicament we are in. No one can honestly tell me that the contract we got was a good one. Whether they voted for or against it. The ones that voted for it, did so because they can’t see one week ahead without a paycheck. They are not thinking about their future whatsoever. I am so glad to see that eeltee and everyone else thinks they know so much about GT and everything. Like I said before…nothing but ignorance from you people that THINK you know it all.
Mr. Latino, I would just love it when the GoodYear workers that think we owe them something would shut up.
It’s a friggin job and there are many, including mine that many of the GoodYear employees couldn’t handle.
Many of the GoodYear workers are realy good, sincere people while some are mislead by the thought that this place would fold without them. Ha.
I have friends that work at GoodYear that say the same thing that has been said here and that is if the workers here don’t wise up, quit being greedy, this plant will be one of the next to go.
Love it how these ignorant people in Danville think they know everything about GT and always put us down. Would love them to come work one week with us…..you would not make it! I would love to see the day GT closes its doors. Danville would never be the same and would not recover for a long time. Then maybe some of these ignorant, gossipping, know it alls would appreciate what we do and the money we pump into the economy of this ungrateful city.
If you have as many tires as you have usernames on this website, I’d really be impressed.
The Danville plant will be here when others are long gone. Goodyear brand is not the only tire made in GYD. The same tire goes in a mold, different brands with different prices come out the other side. Kinda like generic medicines. Same things, different providers and prices. If anyone wants any airplane tires, let me know. I have plenty!
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