'Typical' Start to Goodyear Contract Talks

Akron Beacon Journal, June 9, 2009

Goodyear wants to remain a viable company.

The Steelworkers want to make sure their members have jobs.

That basically sums up the opening presentations Monday in Cincinnati between Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and the United Steelworkers as contract negotiations began in earnest, according to a union official. The current three-year contract expires July 18.

Rich Kramer, Goodyear's new chief operating officer and president of the North American Tire division, spoke to the group, as did Tom Conway, who is leading the negotiations for the Steelworkers.

Goodyear released a short excerpt from Kramer's presentation.

"I believe our new agreement will be a reflection of our shared interests and our mutual desire to make Goodyear the best-performing tire company in North America and the model for success in these uncertain times. . .a model others will look to as an example of how to win with manufacturing right here at home," Kramer said.

"Our future together won't look like the past. Our present doesn't even look like the past. But our vision should be the same. The goal of this negotiation is to reach an agreement that is consistent with the new realities of our industry and outlines the actions that we -- Goodyear and the USW under one banner -- must take to win," he said.

"At this point, we're looking for job security," said Kevin Johnsen, the union's Goodyear contract negotiator.

Johnsen said it was a "typical" opening day for master contract talks that had both sides exchanging comprehensive proposals and meeting face to face for several hours.
The next face-to-face meeting will take place in a number of days, once each side has had enough time to review the proposals, Johnsen said.

The Steelworkers have about 10,300 union members working at seven U.S. plants, including about 440 members in Akron.

The union went on strike in the fall of 2006 for 12 weeks. The strike ended in late December after the Akron tire maker and union agreed to create an independent health-care trust, called a VEBA, for union retirees.