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Striking Continental General Tire Workers from Charlotte Handbilling BMW Plant

15 July 1999

USWA: Striking Continental General Tire Workers from Charlotte Handbilling BMW Plant in Greer, S.C.; Tell About Management's Unfair Labor Practices

    CHARLOTTE, July 15 -- Two buses filled with members of United
Steelworkers of America Local 850 converged on Greer, S.C., today to spread
their message about unfair labor practices committed by Continental General
Tire management at the plant in Charlotte, where tires now purchased for new
BMW cars are being built by inexperienced replacement employees.
    The union workers from Charlotte began their day of action by passing out
handbills to customers purchasing tires at D & D Motors, 1000 Wade Hampton
Blvd. in Greer at 10:30 a.m.  At 3:40 p.m., the Charlotte workers will begin
handbilling employees at the big BMW plant, where management continues to buy
General Tires for new vehicles.
    Some 1,450 workers at Continental General Tire have been on strike in
Charlotte, and the U.S. National Labor Relations Board has recently ruled that
the German-owned company has committed numerous unfair labor practices against
their workforce.  These include unfair threats against workers and illegally
hiring replacement workers.  Of 1,450 union members at the Charlotte plant,
only 15 have crossed the picket line.
    The United Steelworkers are in the midst of an international campaign to
inform potential customers of General Tire about the anti-worker actions of
management in Charlotte.  Union members and supporters in hundreds of cities
have conducted informational handbilling at tire dealerships, as well as Ford
Motor Co. dealerships.  Ford and BMW are top customers for tires made at the
Charlotte plant.
    The 700,000-member Steelworkers vow to expand their informational campaign
until a fair labor agreement is reached in Charlotte.