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Steelworkers Launch International Corporate Campaign

13 January 1999

Steelworkers Launch International Corporate Campaign to Protest Continental General's Violations of U.S. Law

    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 12 -- The United Steelworkers of
America (USWA) today launched an international corporate campaign to protest
German-owned Continental General Tire's violations of federal law in replacing
1,450 striking workers at its Charlotte plant.
    Local and International leaders of the USWA played a 60-second radio
commercial currently airing and exhibited a full-page newspaper ad that ran
today in the Wall Street Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and newspapers in
several other U.S. communities where General Tire has plants.
    The advertising condemns Continental General's German executives for
"double crossing American working families."
    "In the decade since Continental bought General Tire," said Earl Propst,
President of the USWA's Charlotte Local 850L, "Our brothers and sisters have
sacrificed $90 million in wage and benefit givebacks to save this company from
bankruptcy.  That's $30,000 per worker.  Now that our sacrifices have gotten
Continental General's German executives the fastest growing profits of any
tire company in the world, they've doublecrossed us by bargaining in bad faith
and violating our laws."
    Propst said the company proposed a contract demanding pay below its
competitors', and when the striking workers wouldn't knuckle under, replaced
them, then cut off their families' health care benefits less than a week
before Christmas.
    "Bottom line, they're trying to undercut their competitors by savaging
us," Propst said.  "If the Germans think they're going to get away with
savaging American workers and our families, they're in for a fight at least as
tough as our union put up against Bridgestone/Firestone."
    The USWA won a contract from Bridgestone/Firestone after a 2-1/2-year
international corporate campaign that rallied the support of other unions,
community and religious leaders, and ultimately led to a boycott of that
company's products.
    John Sellers, Executive Vice President of the USWA, made it clear that the
union is committed to a similar course of action against Continental General,
if necessary.
    "Unless this company comes to its senses and stops violating our laws,
it's in for a rough ride everywhere, not only here but all over Europe -- even
in South Africa."