Union members overwhelmingly approve US Goodyear contract

According to the United Steelworkers (USW) union, its members have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company on behalf of about 7,200 workers at five plants in the USA. Members approved the agreement covering the Akron (Ohio), Danville (Virginia), Fayetteville (North Carolina), Gadsden (Alabama) and Topeka (Kansas) facilities by a three-to-one margin.

USW International vice-president Tom Conway, who chairs the union’s Goodyear negotiations, credited workers’ solidarity throughout the bargaining process for a contract that achieved the goals the membership identified as important. “We were able to negotiate the best contract in recent memory because our membership was united, and from the outset, our priorities were clear,” Conway said. “We are always strongest when we speak with one voice, and we proved once again that we can accomplish great things when we stand together.”

The five-year contract includes significant wage improvements, retains cost of living adjustments, closes gaps between labour grade tiers and extends plant protection guarantees that none of the plants will close during the term of the agreement. The contract also includes a commitment from Goodyear to invest in the future of the facilities to enhance the long-term job security of the union workforce, to maintain quality, affordable healthcare, and resolves a variety of local issues.

The newly ratified agreement is valid until 29 July 2022.