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.

 

Goodyear Union Notified Of Another Layoff

Tyler Morning Telegraph, July 23, 2008

Workers at Tyler's Goodyear plant were notified on Tuesday of another
impending layoff.

Harold Sweat, president of United Steelworkers Local 746L, said the
layoff will occur Sept. 22-Oct. 6 and include about 70 people.

Goodyear referred to the layoffs as "permanent separation."

The company issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification
(WARN) Act notice of the layoffs, and the notice also contained a phrase
saying the plant "will be permanently closed," Sweat said.

"After many months of thorough review, Goodyear has decided to close the
entire Tyler plant," Sweat read from the notice.

This will leave the plant with about 25 to 30 people, he said.

The union and the company have agreed that some workers will stay on for
a longer period of time after this layoff. Sweat said the ones remaining
will work through a phase of the plant's closure. He said the company
has not provided the union with a list of jobs they will perform.

Tuesday's announcement was the second such WARN act notice received by
the plant in less than two months.

On June 6, Goodyear notified the union that about 110 people would be
laid off in August. Sweat said that layoff has been set for Aug. 8. He
said workers and their spouses will attend meetings in the plant on
Thursday to get details about benefits and compensation packages.

Workers released in this layoff, the just-announced September-October
layoff and an ultimate plant closure will be covered by the compensation
package in the Goodyear proposal that the union ratified on Friday.

Sweat said 94 percent of the members voting cast their vote for
ratification.

The master union contract stipulated the plant be kept open until the
contract expires, in July 2009, but the union's ratification of the
company's proposal gave Goodyear the right to close it early.

Efforts to reach the company on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

During the last contract negotiations between the company and the USW,
the union struggled to keep the Tyler plant open, and the three-year
master contract guaranteed the Tyler plant would be kept open through
Dec. 31, 2007.

The company, however, ceased tire production there, reduced the plant's
employee base by several hundred people and retained the plant as a
rubber-mixing operation.

Amy Brei, Goodyear manager of manufacturing communications, last week
said that a date for plant closure had not been set.

She said the company was seeking to close the plant early because of a
decrease in the requirement for rubber mixed in Tyler. Goodyear stock
closed up $1.49 to settle at $20.02 on Tuesday.

Workers at Goodyear Ratify Contract to Close Plant Early

CBS19.tv, July 18, 2008

UNION MEMBERS VOTE TODAY TO RATIFY THEIR CONTRACT WITH GOODYEAR SO THE TIRE GIANT CAN SHUT DOWN TYLER'S PLANT EARLIER THAN EXPECTED.

CBS 19'S MICHELE REESE JOINS US WITH THE RESULTS.

DURING THREE DIFFERENT VOTING MEETINGS TODAY... UNION MEMBERS VOTED TO ACCEPT GOODYEAR'S PROPOSAL TO SHUT THE PLANT DOWN EARLY......

WORKERS WE SPOKE WITH ....SAY WHILE IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION...GOODYEAR MADE A DEAL THAT WAS TOUGH TO PASS UP.

AT 7 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING...

"Its a real sad feeling."

WORKERS LIKE KEITH GOODMAN...FILED IN TO THE LOCAL STEELWORKERS UNION HALL TO VOTE TO CLOSE A PLANT..SO MANY FOUGHT SO HARD TO SAVE...

"Spending so many years in a place and to go out is a disappointing feeling."

"It's hard for me to let go.."

MARCUS HOWARD SAYS WHILE IT'S DIFFICULT CHECKING YES ON THE BALLOT...

AFTER HEARING GOODYEAR'S DEAL... IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO SAY NO...

"It was sweet. Can't turn that down.It would be stupid to vote no."

MOST OTHER WORKERS AGREED..

"They say here and told us they were gonna close it down so I voted yes if we voted no we might come up empty handed."

"It was a real good deal.. Some people benefited better than others but we got all in all with the unions help negotiating everybody got a real good package out of it."

THE DEAL INCLUDES A PAYMENT FOR EACH YEAR OF SERVICE TO THE PLANT...

....AND WILL BE PAID IN A LUMP SUM.

"They had to buy us off and they did a good job..they opened up their checkbook."

"Probably the best way to get out of here so people can get on with their lives.."

SO AS UNION MEMBERS SAY "Goodbye to Goodyear.."

TYLER'S DREAMS OF KEEPING THE TIRE PLANT OPEN ARE DEFLATED...FOR GOOD.

WHEN THE PLANT WILL CLOSE FOR GOOD IS STILL UP THE AIR..

UNION PRESIDENT HAROLD SWEAT SAYS TODAYS VOTE GIVES GOODYEAR THE CHANCE TO CLOSE THE PLANT AS EARLY AS TOMORROW IF THEY WANT..

BUT GOODYEAR HAS STILL NOT GIVEN AN OFFICIAL CLOSURE DATE..

 

GOODYEAR-DUNLOP TO MAKE 402 JOB CUTS IN AMIENS

Les Echos, July 16, 2008

The management of US tyre manufacturer Goodyear-Dunlop has confirmed plans to axe 402 jobs at its plant in Amiens, France after trade union CGT exercised its right to oppose an agreement on the planned restructuring of working time at the factory.

Chairman and CEO Olivier Rousseau said CGT's rejection of the agreement, which was signed by only two unions, left the management with no choice but to reduce the site's output by 38 per cent. The job cuts will become effective in September.