Four-Year Agreement Improves Wages, Enhances Job and Retirement Security
Contact: Tony Montana (412) 562-2592; tmontana@usw.org
PITTSBURGH – The United Steelworkers (USW) today announced that union members have ratified a new, four-year collective bargaining agreement with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company that covers about 8,500 workers at six of the company’s U.S. facilities.
Steelworkers at plants in Buffalo, N.Y.; Topeka, Kan.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Danville, Va.; Gadsden, Ala.; and Akron, Ohio passed the contract by an overwhelming 3-1 margin.
USW International President Leo W. Gerard said that “the ratified contract improves income, retirement and job security, among other benefits.”
“The contract protects our plants against closure throughout its term,” said Tom Conway, USW International Vice President, who chairs the union’s Goodyear negotiations. “We also negotiated a commitment from Goodyear to invest in our North American facilities so that future generations can look forward to continuing the tradition of manufacturing in these communities.”
Conway said that Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) coverage has been expanded to all USW-represented Goodyear employees and that the contract provides more flexibility for Steelworkers to move between jobs within the plants.
“Our membership demanded a fair contract that improved standards of living without sacrificing the long-term viability of the company or placing our jobs at risk,” said USW International Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson, the union’s Rubber and Plastic Industry Conference (RPIC) chair. “Thanks to their solidarity and the hard work of our negotiating committee, we are proud to have accomplished those goals with Goodyear.”
Overall, the USW represents about 850,000 workers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glassmaking to mining, steel, oil, paper, tire and rubber to the public sector, service and health care industries. For more information: www.usw.org.
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