Day of Action Against Goodyear Planned

Members of the United Steelworkers Union have scheduled a National Day of Action on December 16 with the aim of bringing the core issues behind its ongoing Goodyear strike into greater public awareness. While the planned action appears to be restricted to an orderly leaflet distribution campaign at 127 American stores that sell Goodyear tyres, the union hopes to prick the nation’s conscience with details of employee grievances.

About 15,000 USW members went out on strike on October 5 after Goodyear refused to back down on its plans to close its plant in Tyler, Texas. The company had also announced its intention to end the existing policy of providing retiree health care, instead making a one-time payment to a fund.

One piece of information the union is hoping to make more widely known is that workers accepted wage and benefit freezes several years ago during a period of financial hardship for Goodyear. USW leaders consider the current company plans a slap in the face now that Goodyear is enjoying profits that they feel were partly achieved through their sacrifice.

The Day of Action has been widely promoted by union groups and alternative news sources around the US. Goodyear spokesman Ed Markey has not directly made any comments regarding the protest plans, but did say that the company’s “offer and position are clear” to everyone, including the company’s USW employees.