Steelworkers Reach Tentative Agreement with BFGoodrich

by Mike Hall, Jul 26, 2006

The USW International Union (USW) has reached a tentative agreement with tire maker BFGoodrich that could be the pattern for new contracts with the entire tire industry. The BFGoodrich agreement, announced last night, covers 4,000 members at three plants—Fort Wayne, Ind., and Tuscaloosa and Opelika, Ala.

Last month, the union designated BFGoodrich as the target company for the entire industry. Contract talks are under way at Goodyear, covering some 14,000 worker at 12 plants and Bridgestone\Firestone with about 6,000 workers in eight plants.

The union says pattern agreements provide a level playing field for employers in the area of  labor costs, so that employers instead compete on the basis of product cost and innovation and service quality.

USW says that details of the tentative agreement will not be released until union members have an opportunity to examine them. But USW Executive Vice President Ron Hoover did say job security was improved and retiree health care benefits were protected in the pact.

We believe we achieved our industry goals when it comes to protecting retiree health care benefits and securing additional job protection measures for our active members.

A ratification vote is expected within the next two weeks.

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