Goodyear, Bridgestone Reach Deals with USW

Both Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Bridgestone Americas have reached tentative agreements with the United Steelworkers (USW), avoiding strikes in several plants across the US.

Goodyear reached a tentative agreement with USW on 27 July, the deadline for its former contract. The deal, covering 8,500 employees, still needs to be approved by the majority of the six local USW unions.

“I am happy we didn’t have to strike,” Terry Brewington, vice president of Local 959 and a Goodyear employee, told local media. “Our company is doing good. They have a great workforce. We’re proving you can have a manufacturer in the United States and be profitable.”

The Goodyear contracts affected include plants in Gadsden, Ala.; Akron, Ohio; Buffalo, N.Y.; Danville, Va.; Fayetteville, N.C. and Topeka, Kan.

Bridgestone Americas also reached an agreement with USW. The agreement will affect roughly 3,500 employees at plants in Akron; Des Moines, Iowa; Russellville, Ark.; and LaVergne, Tenn.

There is no news on an agreement between Michelin North America and USW, which also expired on July 27. The company has two union plants in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Fort Wayne, Ind. (Tire Review)