News From USW: Solidarity Tours Demonstrates Resolve of Striking Steelworkers at Goodyear

PITTSBURGH--News From USW: Members of United Steelworkers (USW) bargaining team at Goodyear today concluded a week-long tour to striking plants across the U.S. The tour enabled rank-and-file members to directly address their negotiators regarding the ten-week strike at Goodyear.

"Our members clearly understand what's at stake for them and they demonstrated their commitment to win this fight," said USW International president Tom Conway. "The company talks about hundreds who have crossed, but neglect to mention the more than 15,000 that remain solid and committed to lasting one day longer than Goodyear."

"It's also obvious that the company is producing very little without our members," said Ron Hoover, USW executive vice president. "When you discount the mountains of scrap, Goodyear is lucky to be producing at ten percent of pre-strike levels."

"It's idiotic for this company to talk about the increased numbers of workers and product," said Conway. "It's like bragging about scoring a touchdown when the final score is 50-7."

The Fayetteville plant, for example, now has hundreds of supervisors and replacement workers in the plant along with approximately 300 cross-overs, two-thirds of which were not union members to begin with. "There are half the number workers now as opposed to pre-strike and the plant is lucky if it's producing one-sixth of its pre-strike numbers," said Kevin Johnsen, the USW-Goodyear contract coordinator. "Fayetteville typically makes 50-54,000 tires per day. Now it's about 8,000."

"It's really time for Goodyear to step up and stop this foolishness," said Conway. "How long is this company going to waste money by paying replacement workers to sweep floors and paint the plant?

"Goodyear needs to acknowledge its health care obligations and return to the bargaining table with responsible proposals."

Goodyear forced 15,000 USW members at 16 locations in the U.S. and Canada out on strike on October 5. The USW represents some 70,000 members in the tire, rubber and plastics industry and 850,000 overall in the U.S. and Canada.