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Bridgestone/Firestone and USWA Reach Tentative Agreements

4 September 2000

Bridgestone/Firestone and USWA Reach Tentative Agreements Covering 8000 Workers

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 4 The following was issued by 
Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.:

    We are extremely pleased to announce that Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., and
the United Steelworkers of America have reached tentative agreements on three
contracts covering 8,000 workers at nine facilities in eight states.
    These are competitive and fair proposals reached after many negotiating
sessions, including around-the-clock bargaining as the deadline approached.
There was much give and take, proving the bargaining process is the healthy
way to build stronger relationships.
    While compromise was required from the USWA and Bridgestone/Firestone,
neither has -- nor will -- compromise on any issue affecting product quality.
We negotiated in good faith to create tentative agreements that we believe
serve the best interests of our customers, our employees and our company.  We
will continue to work diligently to meet the needs of our customers.
Production at all our facilities will continue uninterrupted while the
ratification process proceeds.