Updated: 10/2/2006 4:07:33 PM Posted: 10/2/2006 3:49:02 PM
AKRON -- Concern is growing over a possible strike at Goodyear.
The United Steelworkers union gave Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. notice it would terminate its contract Thursday if no deal is reached.
The Akron tire maker says negotiations will continue with the union. The company says it has a contingency plan to operate its plants if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.
The union and Goodyear have been negotiating since June. The new contract would cover about 12,600 active union workers at a dozen U.S. plants. Union officials say there are 465 members in Akron.
Union employees have been working on a day-to-day basis since the current three-year contract expired in July.
Goodyear has proposed protection to all but two of its U.S. plants and a fixex number of layoffs. The company is also seeking concessions on health care, pension and productivity issues.
Union members have already authorized strikes, if necessary, and the steelworkers said Goodyear must address plant security and retiree health care to continue negotiations.
Barring an agreement, the contract would expire at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
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