Cooper's Texarkana contract to expire

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s contract with United Steelworkers at its plant in Arkansas expires at midnight tonight, with no indication of what may occur after the contract is up, reports Tire Review. Cooper locked out 1,050 workers at its Findlay, Ohio plant after contract talks stalled there, but has yet to comment about the Texarkana negotiations.

The Findlay plant, running at less than 100 per cent capacity, is currently being staffed by temporary workers. Representatives of USW Local 752, which represents some 1,500 workers at the Texarcana plant, said the union has been “working around the clock” to get a new contract worked out, and are confident that they will reach a new deal by tonight’s deadline.

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