Stalemate over Cooper’s Findlay plant continues

Tire Review reports that the Christmas and New Year's holidays brought no relief to the dispute between Cooper Tire & Rubber and its union-represented workers at its Findlay plant. Some 1,050 union workers remained locked out through the holidays, and Tire Review indicates the two sides will take their stalemate to a federal mediator this week.

The USW union and Cooper have not held any negotiation sessions since 13 December and both sides have filed charges against the other with the National Labor Relations Board. The Cooper plant workers have been locked out of the plant since 28 November with a group of replacement workers maintaining some level of production at the facility. Tire Review notes that it is not clear how many tyres the replacement workers are turning out.

On the first weekday of the new year, US Senator Sherrod Brown travelled to Findlay to meet with the workers. “I’m hoping any which way we can get you back to work,” Brown said, according to reports. “This company, this union, this whole plant means so much to this community. I’m here to offer support with anything I can do.”