Majority of Goodyear Locals OK Contract

AKRON, Ohio September 8, 2003; The AP reported that Nine of 14 union locals representing Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. employees have ratified a proposed three-year contract, all by wide margins, a union spokesman said Monday.

Having a majority of the 14 United Steelworkers locals approve the contract is one requirement for ratification. The other is a majority of the total votes cast.

In western Ohio, where Goodyear workers in St. Marys voted Sunday by an 82 percent margin for the proposed contract, Local 200 president Gary Glass said the contract appeared headed for companywide approval.

Voting continues on a staggered schedule through Friday at locals in Gadsden, Ala., Freeport, Ill., Topeka, Kan., and Danville, Va. Workers in Union City, Tenn., had until midnight Monday to vote. The union expects to announce official results next week, spokesman Wayne Ranick said.

All locals whose voting margins have been reported approved the tentative contracts by margins ranging from 66 percent to 90 percent.

Voting margins were reported for all three locals in Ohio, in Akron, St. Marys and Marysville; and in Buffalo, N.Y.; Lincoln, Neb.; Tyler, Texas; Sun Prairie, Wis.; Huntsville, Ala., and Fayetteville, N.C.

Union officials said the contract would give the Steelworkers a seat on Goodyear's board of directors. Other key issues in the talks focused on job security and health care costs.

The agreement was reached after five months of negotiations. The contract would replace one that expired April 19, although it was extended by agreement between the union and Goodyear.

The contract covers at least 16,000 employees at 14 plants in Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois, Alabama, Nebraska, Wisconsin, New York, Kansas, Texas and Tennessee, plus about 22,000 retirees.

The company operates more than 90 plants in 28 countries with a total of about 92,000 employees, including 25,000 salaried personnel and the remainder in manufacturing.

On the New York Stock Exchange, Goodyear shares were up up 18 cents to close at $7.76.

Goodyear: http://www.goodyear.com