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USW Announces Intent to Terminate Goodyear Contract
Notice Delivered; Extension Agreement ends in 72 Hours; Likelihood of a Strike Increases

For Immediate Release                                            October 2, 2006

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- The United Steelworkers (USW) announced today that it delivered the required notice to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and that unless a tentative agreement is reached; the contract will terminate on October 5, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

As a three-year master contract approached its July 22, 2006 termination date, both sides entered into a day-to-day extension agreement that provided both the company and the USW the option of terminating the agreement upon delivering a 72-hour notice.

"We've been telling the company that we would stay at the bargaining table as long as progress was being made," said USW executive vice president Ron Hoover. "There's no sense continuing these talks if Goodyear is intent on gutting our contract and closing our plants."

"It's a sad situation and a poor reflection on this company that we are forced to take this action after all we have done for them," Hoover added.