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USW Blasts Goodyear's Reckless Actions; Announcements Of Plant Closing And Hiring Replacement Workers Will Only Make A Settlement More Difficult

For Immediate Release                                        October 30, 2006

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today strongly condemned Goodyear’s decision to announce a plant closing as counter productive and a further example of the management’s foolish notion that believes it can shrink a company to prosperity.

"Goodyear talks about a contract that's fair, but cannot bring themselves to acknowledge how all the other stakeholders in the company have benefited from Goodyear's turnaround except our members," said USW international president Leo Gerard.

“Now they seem committed to stripping away health care benefits from those who made the turnaround possible and to further close plants and abandon the business” said USW vice president Tom Conway who is serving as the Unions Chairman in the negotiations with Goodyear. Conway further said, “Their foolishness is outweighed only by their greed.”

"How do you talk about saving American manufacturing and at the same time close another facility?" said Conway. “How can this company make claims that cheap imports are hurting them when the truth is they are intent on abandoning their markets, and refusing to stand and fight for their market and the business?”