Membership Update: July 27, 2022
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Our contract expires on Friday, July 29th at 6:00 PM. Your USW negotiating Committee has met with Goodyear for the past nine (9) weeks with some progress, but we have not achieved what we deserve and what is fair.
Strike Authorization has been granted, and before a strike commences, the bargaining committee wants to provide you with the details of the unresolved issues.
Goodyear Can Afford a Fair Agreement
Goodyear has more than $1 billion dollars in cash and cash availability. Goodyear Americas made over $ 900 million in profits in 2021; was profitable in every year since our last contract; and the Wall Street analysts all agree that over the next few years, the Company will do even better than it has in the past.
What Goodyear Offers, They Take Away in Real Concessions
Here are the major issues that separate the Company and the Union:
Wages
Union proposes: across-the-board increases in the Wage Grade Rates on the Effective Date and COLA increases for all employees throughout the agreement. The company estimates COLA increases will be $0.83 in October of this year, $1.80 in 2023 and $1.00 in 2024 and 2025.
We would also receive all quarterly COLA increases for the term of the agreement.
Company proposes: a $0.40 per/hour increase in the first year of the contract for Wage Grade 1 jobs and $0.25 per/hour increase for all other wage grades. Goodyear has estimated COLA increases and if COLA pays higher they will pay the difference. However, all employees above the proposed wage grade would receive the COLA payments in lump sums. Goodyear has also proposed to move all wage grade 6 jobs to wage grade 5 in the second year of the contract.
We Must Defend Ourselves from Goodyear’s Unnecessary Demands!
We are prepared to negotiate a responsible settlement, but we are not buying into the Company’s demands for concessions or a contract that does not reward essential workers for our contributions to the company’s success.
Besides the above listed economic issues, we have open local issues and other items that Goodyear refuses to address.
Goodyear also demands the right to eliminate the Plant Protection Letter; they demand to reduce Supplemental Workers’ Compensation, refuse to correct the payroll errors, refuse to allow for minimum vacation pay, and they want to continue to be able to force workers to use vacation during shutdowns.
Goodyear refuses to improve Labor Trainer rates, Shift Premiums, improve the vision plan or consider a new hearing aid benefit. Goodyear wants to decrease the A&S benefit and wants concessions on other important issues.
Overall, Goodyear’s demands for concessions would offset our COLA payments by shifting increased health care and benefit costs to employees!
Goodyear should not make the mistake of underestimating our resolve and our sense of fairness.
Your USW/Goodyear Negotiating Committee
Unity – Determination – Solidarity
For text updates text Goodyear to the number 47486