NEWS from the United Steelworkers: Steelworkers Target Bridgestone/Firestone at Indy 500; ''Stop Racing Jobs Overseas,'' Union Workers Tell Their Employer

INDIANAPOLIS--May 2, 20057, 2005--Unionized Bridgestone/Firestone workers represented by the United Steelworkers (USW) are making a major push at this year's Indianapolis 500 to gain public support for their campaign for a fair contract.

A team of union workers from eight Bridgestone/Firestone U.S. tire plants are working the racing crowd to get out their message that Bridgestone/Firestone should provide wages, benefits, and plant reinvestment as comparable tire companies such as Goodyear have done.

Firestone is a longtime major sponsor of Indy racing, but USW members say the tire company has shown less commitment to the U.S. since being purchased by Japan-based Bridgestone in 1988.

The USW is seeking an agreement from Bridgestone/Firestone to reinvest in U.S. production facilities to make jobs for American workers more secure. So far the company has refused.

Steelworkers have a booth on Georgetown Rd. where they are asking racing fans to sign a petition, and are distributing nearly 100,000 sets of free earplugs, Indy Racing League schedules, and black flags, all with a pro-union message.

In addition, the union is running hundreds of radio ads, sponsoring a plane flyover, and running several mobile billboards on the streets around the racetrack.

Larry Odum, a longtime employee at Bridgestone/Firestone's plant in LaVergne, Tenn., said, "Union workers would like to concentrate on making top quality tires, but we're not going to watch more and more of our jobs be exported overseas without a fight."