Fourth Asia-Pacific Goodyear Rubber Workers' Network Meets in Jakarta, Indonesia

ICEM, November 3

 

The fourth regional meeting of the Asia-Pacific Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. Workers’ Network was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 28 October, with 20 delegates from five Asian nations attending. Previous Goodyear Asia-Pacific network meetings were held in Manila, Philippines, in 2005; Singapore in 2002; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2000.

“The continuity of our regional network activity since 2000 shows the commitment of participating unions for international solidarity and cooperation, which gives us high hopes for the future,” stated Toshiaki Hojo, President of the Japanese Rubber Workers’ Union Confederation (GOMU-RENGO). “It is very important to carry out our activities in parallel with ICEM’s Goodyear Global Union Network.”

Hojo added that the Asia-Pacific Workers’ Network of the American company has worked successfully on health and safety issues, and pledged to do more on this issue.

Delegates evaluated past activities of the Goodyear Global and Asia-Pacific Region networks, and the meeting received a detailed report on Goodyear’s financial situation and the labour relations of a company that employs 70,000 workers in 60 factories, operating in 25 countries. Delegates on 28 October identified specific situations in their plants by giving current figures on salaries, working hours, and collective bargaining developments.

Health and safety was handled in a separate session, in which past histories were summarized by ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Officer Kemal Özkan. Following, specific health and safety problems were put forward, and the importance of information exchange was highlighted. The ICEM was requested to provide some information on global standards, specifically on heat limits and safety glasses.

After discussing the ICEM’s 2009 World Conference for the Rubber Industries and other industry conferences to occur next year, the meeting decided – through an action plan – to escalate targeting of joint organising efforts, to focus on training and education programmes, as well as to engage in regular and detailed information exchange through electronic means.

The 2008 regional network meeting also adopted a special announcement toward further action for reinstatement of Thai and Malaysian colleagues, workers who have been unjustly fired by the company.

Goodyear Dunlop plant will try buyouts before layoffs

Associated Press, October 31

 

Goodyear Dunlop Tires North America’s Town of Tonawanda plant will first offer buyouts to hourly workers in its push to reduce its work force by as many as 150 hourly positions.

The company is presenting details of the buyout packages to employees and will give them about two weeks to decide whether to sign up for them, said Diane Zwirecki, a spokeswoman at the Sheridan Drive tire plant. Details of the packages were not disclosed.

If necessary, the plant would then turn to voluntary layoffs to trim its work force. The final step, also if necessary, would be to make involuntary layoffs beginning Dec. 1. Laid-off workers would be eligible to be called back, Zwirecki said.

The plant is reducing its work force as it scales back production of passenger auto tires and commercial truck tires, in response to a slowdown in vehicle sales, Zwirecki said.

Starting Dec. 1, production of those types of tires will be reduced to five days a week at the plant from the current seven-day-a-week schedule.

The plant also makes motorcycle tires, including for Harley-Davidson, but that business segment is unaffected, she said.

The plant has about 1,100 hourly workers, who are represented by the United Steelworkers of America, and about 150 salaried workers. An additional 50 salaried employees work at Goodyear Dunlop’s offices in Amherst.

The plant produces about 5,500 passenger auto tires a day and about 4,700 motorcycle tires a day. It makes about 2,000 commercial truck tires a day.

Earlier this week, a Steelworkers official said the plant has not had layoffs since 1979.

In 2006, the Steelworkers went on strike against Goodyear- affiliated plants in Tonawanda and elsewhere in the United States for about three months. The workers ended up approving a three-year contract.

Goodyear to close for week

The Fayetteville Observer, October 21

 

Goodyear is taking another weeklong break from making tires in Fayetteville.

That means that workers will again have to draw unemployment benefits for a time.

Production at the Ramsey Street plant will be put on pause from Saturday through Nov. 1, said plant spokesman Richard Evans.

The reason, Evans said, is to “align production with reduced customer demand.”

That’s the same reason Goodyear officials gave for a two-week halt in Fayetteville in August, which followed a one-week halt in July.

So this will be the fourth week that the plant will sit idle this year — a year in which motorists have been driving fewer miles and therefore putting less wear on their tires.

A corporate Goodyear spokeswoman could not be reached for comment Monday.

But the trade publication Modern Tire Dealer reported Friday that in addition to the Fayetteville plant, Goodyear facilities in Union City, Tenn., and Gadsen, Ala., would halt production during the last week in October. The publication also reported that Goodyear’s Lawton, Okla., plant will take off four Sundays in a row.

Goodyear employs about 3,000 people and is Cumberland County’s largest corporate tax payer with a total tax bill of $1.6million last year.

Fayetteville employees who will stay home during the weeklong halt will be eligible for unemployment benefits during that time, said Daryl Jackson, president of United Steelworkers Local 959. But it won’t match what a typical Goodyear employee earns.

Still, Jackson said, “if you look around and you see what’s going on with layoffs, we’re fortunate. As it stands, we’re just going to be off that last week in October and possibly a week around Christmas, although there’s no definite answer on (December).”

Officials with Goodyear and the union say the production halts shouldn’t be seen as a precursor to layoffs.

Jackson said he has heard some recent break-room buzz about job cuts. But to his knowledge, there is no truth to any of the rumors.

“Part of the reason for taking time out is so that (Goodyear) won’t have to lay anybody off,” Jackson said.

Evans, the company spokesman, said: “Goodyear monitors the market every week and makes adjustments when needed. And no, there have been no announcements other than the one week in October.

But he added: “Who can speculate within this economy?”

He could not address any later production halts.

Beyond the what is planned for next week, Evans said, “there are no additional announcements from Goodyear.”

Jackson said the automotive industry, like the housing market, is hurting. That obviously affects the plants that feed the market.

“Every time you pick up the newspaper or listen to the news, there’s another plant shutting down,” Jackson said.

He mentioned Georgia Pacific’s recent announcement that it would “indefinitely idle” its lumber plant in Columbus County, where 350 people work.

“We’re very fortunate to be in the situation that we are in,” Jackson said.

“We are still in bad economic times, but it’s going to get better,” he said. “I believe help is on the way.”

GOODYEAR-DUNLOP AMIENS MANAGEMENT SEES CASE REJECTED

Le Figaro, September 18

The Amiens magistrates' court has thrown out a case brought by the management of US tyre manufacturer Goodyear-Dunlop, which had asked that the court annul a request for an expert opinion on the consequences of the company's restructuring plan at its French factory in Amiens.

According to trade union CGT, the decision will call the plan into question. The company's management acknowledged that the ruling will delay the implementation of its plans to reduce production at the factory.

 

Goodyear to cut European truck tire production

COLMAR-BERG, Luxembourg (Sept. 5, 2008) — Goodyear said it will cut truck tire production considerably at its European factories through the end of the year because of declining European demand for truck tires and subsequent build-up of stocks.

Most affected will be Goodyear’s plant in Colmar-Berg, where production is being scaled back starting the week of Sept. 7 to six days a week and the Christmas break extended to 10 days, Goodyear said.

Earthmover tire production at the Luxembourg plant, which employs 1,300 in tire manufacturing, will not be affected, the tire maker said.

Besides at Colmar-Berg, Goodyear makes truck tires in Europe at plants in Hanau and Wittlich, Germany; Debica, Poland; Montlucon, France; and Kranj, Slovenia. The company did not release specifics of the cutbacks at these plants nor quantify by how much production is being reduced.

“Our immediate concern lies with our employees directly affected by this necessary decision,” said John Jentgen, director of manufacturing at Luxembourg. “Along with our social partners, we have developed an action plan preventing any layoffs of Goodyear workers.

“Our staff is nonetheless required to take their remaining vacation on the production-free days before any measures of reduced working hours can be implemented.”

In its half-year financial report Goodyear reported 22-percent higher operating income in its Europe, Middle East and Africa tire unit on 15.3-percent higher sales, although it said unit sales volume was down 5 percent during the second quarter and 2.8 percent during the first half.

Goodyear closing stores

Reuters, August 20, 2008

Goodyear Tire & Rubber said it would close 12 per cent, or 92, of its company-owned U.S. stores and cut 600 full- and part-time jobs as the U.S. economic downturn put more pressure on the company.

The company owns 742 stores in the United States.

Goodyear, the largest tire maker in the U.S. by sales, said it would take after-tax charges of about $30 million in connection with the closings, half of which would be recorded in the third quarter. The company said the closings would enable it to eliminate $9 million in annual losses.

In July, Goodyear said it was confident it would be able to navigate the near-term economic challenges, especially in North America. At that time, it said second-quarter net income rose to $75 million, or 31 cents per share, from $56 million a year earlier.

Goodyear shuts down Fayetteville plant for two weeks

WRAL.com, August 16, 2008

 

Goodyear plans to close its Fayetteville plant for two weeks as part of a nationwide effort to let demand catch up to supply.

Nearly 3,000 employees became out of work when the plant shut down at 1 p.m. Saturday, said Daryll Jackson, president of the Steelworkers Union Local 959. The plant normally produces around 30,000 tires a day.

Employees were encouraged to schedule vacation around the shutdown and will be eligible for unemployment benefits during the second week, Jackson said.

Jackson said about 70 percent of Goodyear's plants across the United States will be involved in the shutdown.

The tire manufacturer is letting plants idle, because high fuel prices and broader economic troubles have dampened demand, he said.

Goodyear recently reported that its domestic sales fell 6 percent in the second quarter of 2008.

The company might do another weeklong round of inventory reduction around Christmas if sales do not improve, Jackson said.

Goodyear is eligible for $24 million in economic incentives over the next 10 years as part of a package passed during a special session of the state Legislature in September 2007.

To receive the incentives, Goodyear must have at least 2,000 workers, invest $200 million over a six-year period and maintain average wages that are 40 percent higher than the local average to qualify. The company loses a portion of annual grant as its overall employments falls. If employment slips by 20 percent, Goodyear would lose its entire grant.