Deals reached between Cooper, unions
No need for undue excitement. An agreement has been ratified between Cooper Tire & Rubber and workers based in Findlay, Ohio – but they aren’t the locked-out workers embroiled in the fracas oft reported by Tyrepress.com over the past couple of months. The three-year contract with the US tyre maker involves truck drivers represented by the Teamsters union. Final approval of the new contract was given on 18 February.
“This group of drivers continually works hard to operate safely and abide by all federal and state regulations, and at the same time control costs as much as they can,” said Douglas Lyon, Cooper’s manager of Fleet Operations. “They have continued to put the company first and work very hard to maintain a safe and efficient record.”
The agreement with the Teamsters was the second contract Cooper ratified within a single week; two days earlier a new four-year labour agreement covering workers at its facility in Clarksdale, Mississippi was also approved. Cooper reports that members of United Steelworkers of America Local 556L “overwhelmingly ratified” the deal.
“We are pleased that a new contract was reached that is acceptable to both the company and the union members,” said Michael Allen, president of USW Local 556L. “This agreement was negotiated on time and demonstrates that labour and management can work together in Clarksdale on a deal that benefits workers and the company.”
Clarksdale’s plant manager Fred Doster expressed his satisfaction with the overall attitude and manner in which these negotiations were conducted. “Cooper welcomes the ratification of this new collective agreement by USW members. Local leadership did a great job of representing its membership, and we commend the union for their willingness to work together to address issues that are important to the employees, this facility, the company, and the community of Clarksdale.”
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