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USW Reiterates Its Readiness to Bargain; Assumes Goodyear Announcement Means that Company Has Abandoned its Reckless Agenda

For Immediate Release                                         November 9, 2006

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- The United Steelworkers (USW) said today it was pleased to hear that Goodyear is prepared to return its negotiators to contract talks in Cincinnati. Last Friday, the USW sent James L. Allen, Goodyear's Global Labor Relations director a letter stating that the union was prepared to resume talks when the company abandoned its plans to close more plants and walk away from its health care obligations.

“We are pleased that the company has apparently come to its senses and will return to the table, " said Tom Conway, USW International vice president."We stand ready to bargain a fair labor agreement, as we always have, and assume by this announcement that the company has abandoned its destructive position on closing plants and slashing health care."

"We look forward to productive discussions whereby our members can to return to making quality products and sincerely hope that this is a good faith attempt by Goodyear to solve problems and not place further obstructions in the path to reaching a fair and equitable agreement,” said USW International president Leo W. Gerard.

After a brief meeting in Pittsburgh last Frida