by Mike Hall, Oct 4, 2006

The USW International Union (USW) gave Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. notice it would terminate the contract between the union and the tire maker Thursday if a tentative agreement for 14,000 USW members isn’t reached.

Says USW Executive Vice President Ron Hoover:

We’ve been telling the company that we would stay at the bargaining table as long as progress was being made, There’s no sense continuing these talks if Goodyear is intent on gutting our contract and closing our plants. It’s a sad situation and a poor reflection on this company that we are forced to take this action after all we have done for them.

In the previous contract, negotiated in 2003, the union provided Goodyear, with financial flexibility with wage, pension and health care concessions and worked to improve productivity and efficiency, says Hoover.

That contract expired in July, but the union and company agreed to a day-to-day contract extension of the pact with both the company and the USW having the option to terminate the extension with 72-hours notice.

The USW represents workers at 12 Goodyear plants in 10 states.

In August, union members at three BF Goodrich plants ratified a three-year agreement USW is using as template for talks with Goodyear and other tire makers. The BF Goodrich pact covers some 4,000 workers, improves job security and maintains health benefits. BF Goodrich is a subsidiary of Michelin.

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