Cooper workers agree second tentative contract

90 days after they were locked out of their jobs, workers at the Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Findlay, Ohio, have reached a second tentative contract with the tyre-maker, Tire Review reports. The agreement, which will be put to a ratification vote this weekend, was reached late on 23 February. The two sides had returned to the bargaining table on 20 February and have held lengthy sessions on each day since.

While terms of the agreement were not discussed, USW Local 207 will hold a meeting at 9:00 ET on 25 February to explain the terms to membership, and a ratification vote will be held on 27 February from 10:00 to 17:00 at the union hall in Findlay.

The lock out of some 1,050 union workers began on 28 November, 2011, after Local 207 members overwhelmingly rejected the first tentative deal between the two sides. Since then there have been intermittent talks and plenty of public acrimony.

Cooper brought in temporary workers to operate the plant, and there have been reports – not denied by the tyre-maker – that it was removing production equipment from the 95-year-old plant, the second oldest in operation in the US.

Related news:

• Deals reached between Cooper, unions
• Cooper workers to participate in ‘justice’ road trip
• Cooper Findlay talks break down – again
• Talking again – Cooper, USW restart Findlay discussions