Goodyear plant's future hinges on vote

GodAndRiver.com, February 11, 2009

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and USW Local 831 negotiators have reached a tentative agreement on operations at the Danville plant in the face of an inventory surplus from the economic downturn.

Union members will vote on the agreement Feb. 19, according to the union’s Web site and Jo Andrews, communications manager for Goodyear in Danville.

Andrews also said Wednesday that the third partial furlough, scheduled for Feb. 21-28, would not take place.

“It has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date,” Andrews said.

Details of the agreement have not been released to the public. They will be presented to union members during two meetings on Feb. 19 at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research. The meetings will be at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Union members will vote on the agreement that day following the presentations. The vote will be by secret ballot, and polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the union’s Web site.

The union’s local bargaining committee first met with local and corporate management Feb. 2.

“The company’s presentation was short and to the point about how the economic downturn is drastically affecting the tire industry,” according to a statement on the union’s Web site. “It is evident that the partial weeks out are not effectively reducing inventories.”

Goodyear officials returned to Danville for meetings Monday and Tuesday with the union on how to best reduce inventory and keep the Danville plant running efficiently.