John Edwards Pleads CTNA Workers’ Case in Letter to Alan Hippe

John Edwards, former US Senator from North Carolina and vice presidential candidate, has written a letter to Alan Hippe, CEO and president of Continental Tire’s North American (CTNA) expressing his concern over the German company’s alleged violations of US labour laws at the Charlotte, North Carolina plant.

“It has come to my attention that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently filed a formal complaint against Continental Tire charging the company with refusing to bargain collectively with the United Steelworkers by unilaterally imposing $32 million in contract concessions, laying-off employees, and eliminating tyre production at its Charlotte facility,” stated Edwards. “I understand that Continental’s decisions will force hundreds of retirees in North Carolina who are not yet Medicare-eligible to either use three-fourths or more of their pension income to pay for health care insurance or drop their health care coverage altogether and become dependent on taxpayer-funded health care.”

Edwards called upon Hippe to “respect the right of your workers at your Charlotte facility to bargain collectively through their union, the United Steelworkers.”

A trial on the NLRB complaint is scheduled for 28 November 2006. The United Steelworkers (USW) has also filed a complaint with the U.S. State Department over violations of Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“We appreciate Senator Edwards intervening in this situation on behalf of North Carolina citizens and our members,” said Ron Hoover, USW executive vice president. “Such actions are consistent with his efforts to support workers and their unions throughout the US.”

Continental Tire unlawfully imposed new terms and conditions at the Charlotte plant on 30 April 2006 and announced that it would cease tyre production on 10 May 2006. Approximately 1100 workers and 500 retirees are being impacted by the end of tyre production and major cuts in health care insurance.