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Union Unloads on CTNA Over Charlotte Statement

(Akron/Tire Review) Relations between the United Steelworkers (USW) and Continental Tire North America (CTNA) continue to deteriorate, with most of the focus on CTNA’s demands for major cuts at its Charlotte, North Carolina passenger and light truck/SUV tyre plant.

Union leaders are now angry over remarks attributed to CTNA human resources vice president Rick Ledsinger, who said in a recent CTNA press release that “it was time for the union to get serious about preserving jobs in Charlotte.”

21st February 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Steelworkers Angry Over Michelin Plant Closure

(Akron/Tire Review) As expected, United Steelworkers officials in Canada and the US reacted bitterly to the news that Michelin North America (MNA) was planning to close its 44-year-old broadline tyre plant in Kitchener, Ontario,

“It is outrageous that the company has never discussed alternatives with the union and simply dropped a bomb on the whole city,” said Wayne Fraser, USW’s Ontario/Atlantic director. “It is a mean-spirited, terrible way to treat workers, their families and the whole community.”

6th February 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan Reaches Agreement With Union

Titan International, Inc. has reached an agreement with the United Steelworkers in a civil RICO case that began in September 2000. The case was dismissed on Wednesday, 1 February in Springfield, Illinois.

“This disagreement started with the strike on May 1, 1998, and it has been a real fight,” said Maurice M Taylor, Titan chairman and CEO. “There’s no question that both parties were putting a lot of passion and money into this lawsuit. Titan believed it would have been successful, just as we were successful in the shareholder derivative suit brought against Titan by law firm Milberg Weiss, Bershad, Hynes, and LeRach LLP, but during negotiations with Goodyear on their North American farm tyre business, which took over 22 months, it became clear that Titan and the USW have a common goal—American jobs that pay fair wages and benefits. Titan agrees with that, but Titan believes it runs the factories, and if you pay for eight hours of work, you should get eight hours of work,” said Taylor.

3rd February 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Union Sets Vote on Titan Contract Offer

(Akron/Tire Review) The Freeport (Illinois) Journal-Standard reported that United Steelworkers (USW) workers at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s Freeport agricultural tyre plant will vote 21 December on a new labour agreement that could pave the way for Titan International to acquire the plant.

13th December 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan Extends Deadline For Fifth Time

(Akron/Tire Review) Despite claims that it has reached an agreement with the United Steelworkers that would pave the way for the completion of its planned purchase of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co’s agricultural tyre business, Titan International has filed for its fifth extension for the deal. The new deadline set by Titan is 31 December.

7th December 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan and Goodyear Make Tentative Agreement

Titan Tire Corporation, a subsidiary of Titan International, Inc, has reached a tentative agreement with United Steelworkers (USW) Local 745L on a new contract for workers at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s farm tyre manufacturing facility in Freeport, Illinois. The USW will schedule a ratification vote in the coming weeks. Titan Tire entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Goodyear’s North American farm tyre assets on 28 February 2005.

25th November 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

CTNA Starts Union Talks for Charlotte Plant

(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America Inc (CTNA) said it has begun negotiations with the United Steelworkers (USW) for a new labour agreement at its Charlotte, NC tyre manufacturing plant.

The current labour agreement, initiated on 20 September 1999, does not expire until 30 April 2006, according to CTNA, but the tyremaker wanted to begin negotiations now to “address high manufacturing costs,” the company said.

21st October 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan Buyout Deal Surprises USW

(Akron/Tire Review – Freeport Journal Standard) The $18 per share “cash merger” offer by an New York private equity firm for Titan International apparently caught the United Steelworkers (USW) well off guard, leaving the national union and its Freeport, Illinois, local scrambling for information.

17th October 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

CTNA, Union Agree to Mayfield Severance Plan

(Akron/Tire Review) The United Steelworkers (USW) and Continental Tire North America (CTNA) reached an agreement for CTNA to provide “enhanced severance benefits” to hourly workers who lost their jobs when the tiremaker suspended production at its Mayfield, Ky., tire plant last year. The tentative agreement was finalized 15 September, and the ratification vote was held 30 September.

5th October 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan Takes Third Extension on Goodyear Deal

(Akron/Tire Review) Late yesterday morning, Titan International announced that it was extending the deadline for the completion of its planned purchase of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s agricultural tire business. The new deadline is 1 November. The previous deadline of 1 October came and went without a public announcement by the Des Moines, Iowa, tire and wheel maker. Titan said it filed for the extension on 30 September.

The extension is the third Titan has taken since it announced its plans to buy all of Goodyear’s agricultural tyre business – including its Freeport, Illinois, agricultural tyre plant – for some $100 million. As required by Goodyear’s contract with the United Steelworkers (USW) union, Titan must reach an agreement on a new contract for the plant’s 800 workers before the sale can be completed.

4th October 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Steelworkers Contribute to Hurricane Relief

(Akron/Tire Review) The United Steelworkers (USW) has made an initial contribution of $100,000 for relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The USW said that thousands of members live and work in the Gulf Coast areas most affected by the hurricane, and many are in immediate need of temporary shelter, food, and medical supplies, as well as longer-term help in repairing damage to their homes.

The union contributed $50,000 directly from USW International, which was matched with an additional $50,000 from the Steelworkers Humanity Fund in Canada. The USW also urged members and the union’s locals to add their contributions to the USW’s initial $100,000 seed money for the relief effort.

7th September 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Titan Takes Second Extension on Goodyear Deal

(Akron/Tire Review) For the second time in as many months, Titan International has extended the deadline for completion of its purchase of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. agricultural tire business. It is believed that the second extension – until 1 October – is due to slow moving negotiations between Titan and the United Steelworkers (USW).

Under terms of the contract it signed with Goodyear in 2003, any company purchasing a USW-represented Goodyear plant must negotiate a new deal with the union before the sale can be consummated.
The purchase, announced last February, includes Goodyea’rs agricultural tyre plant in Freeport, Illinois.

2nd September 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Roesler Still Looking at CTNA OTR Plant

(Akron/Tire Review) Various reports indicate that the Roesler Group is still negotiating to buy Continental Tire North America’s (CTNA) OTR tyre plant in Bryan, Ohio.

Roesler officials and representatives from the United Steelworkers (USW) have been meeting, but no progress has been reported. Meanwhile, industry watchers in Europe remain curious about the deal, suggesting that Roesler’s relative size – the company posted sales of just $10 million last year, according to reports – may be of concern to the union, which is fighting to protect jobs. However, some observers suggest that the negotiated price for the factory actually favours Roesler.

1st September 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

USW Begins Titan Negotiations

(Akron/Tire Review) United Steelworkers’ (USW) international leadership has extended approval to Titan Tire Corp to start negotiations with USW Local 745 in Freeport, Illinois. This move is a significant step towards Titan’s pending purchase of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co’s North American agricultural tyre business. Under the terms of Goodyear’s contract with the USW, any purchaser must reach a new contract agreement with the union.

28th July 2005/by Tyrepress Editors

Union Workers OK New Contract With BFNAT

(Akron/Tire Review) United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1155, representing workers at Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire’s (BFNAT) truck tyre plant in warren County, Tennessee, have ratified a new three-year contract. The vote, completed within the last 24 hours, averts a planned strike at the plant.

26th July 2005/by Tyrepress Editors