Steelworkers to Target Bridgestone-Firestone and Nissan on February 16 National Action Day

PITTSBURGH--Feb. 1, 20055, 2005--

Nationwide Informational Rallies to Mark Lack of Progress in Contract Negotiations; Company's Refusal to Invest in North American Manufacturing

The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) will hold informational rallies at 200 Nissan dealerships nationwide on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 to protest the lack of progress in master contract negotiations that cover 6,000 USWA members employed at eight Bridgestone-Firestone (BFS) plants. It's been almost two years since the passing of the contract's expiration date of April 23, 2003.

"There cannot be a new contract without the company agreeing to make capital investment expenditures in our plants," said USWA executive vice president John Sellers. "Our biggest concerns remain job security for our members and keeping the production in our communities."

Nissan is a major customer for Bridgestone/Firestone tires. As part of the USWA contract campaign, members have staged informational rallies outside of dealerships to inform the public of BFS' resistance to invest in American production. The USWA wants the company to "Export Tires -- Not Jobs." By holding 200 rallies nationwide on the same day, USWA members look to send the company another strong message of solidarity and resolve.

Other major tiremakers such as Goodyear and Michelin's BFGoodrich have committed to investments in USWA plants. It appears from negotiations that Bridgestone/Firestone is attempting to break the industry pattern so they can move production and family-supporting jobs offshore.

Pattern bargaining agreements maintain generally uniform collective agreements with groups of employers within an industry and compel employers to compete on the basis of product and service quality, innovation, up-to-date technology and management.

USWA bargaining units represented in the BFS negotiations include:

Local 7 (Akron, Ohio)
Local 138 (Noblesville, Indiana)
Local 310 (Des Moines, Iowa)
Local 787 (Bloomington, Illinois)
Local 884 (Russellville, Arkansas)
Local 998 (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Local 1055 (LaVergne, Tennessee), and
Local 1155 (Warren County, Tennessee).

The USWA represent 1.2 million active and retired members in North America, including nearly 70,000 active workers in the rubber and plastics industry. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the USWA has 12 districts spanning the continent and more than 2,000 locals.