Continental Carbon Lock Out Continues

The Paper, Allied-Industrial and Chemical Workers International Union (PACE) reported today that contract negotiations yesterday failed to end an almost two-year lockout of 86 union employees at Continental Carbon in Ponca City, Oklahoma. According to Ernie Anderson, PACE’s chief negotiator, Continental Carbon’s negotiators want union members to serve as contractors and bid against non-union firms for routine maintenance. “The company even insists that the union bids must be 30 per cent lower than other bids for union workers to perform the maintenance work,” said Anderson.

Goodyear, one of the company’s largest customers, no longer purchases carbon black from Continental Carbon.PACE has warned customers, particularly tyre manufacturers, of the danger of using carbon black from Ponca City where less-experienced replacement workers and overworked managers have attempted to produce high quality carbon black. PACE has stated repeatedly, based on research from tyre experts, that defective or contaminated carbon black can cause tread separation.