USW Members Ratify Agreements with Goodyear, Bridgestone and Michelin-BF Goodrich

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Aug 24, 2022, 10:42 ET

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that members have ratified a new master contract with Goodyear covering about 6,000 workers at facilities in Akron, Ohio; Topeka, Kan.; Danville, Va.; and Fayetteville, N.C.

They join roughly 4,000 unionized workers at Bridgestone locations in Akron; Des Moines, Iowa; Bloomington, Ill.; Russellville, Ark.; LaVergne and Morrison, Tenn., and 1,800 USW represented Michelin-BF Goodrich employees in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Fort Wayne, Ind., who ratified contracts on August 19, 2022.

USW International President Thomas M. Conway said that workers won meaningful economic and contract language improvements in the agreements, which were ratified by an overwhelming majority of members across the three employers.

"The hard work of our negotiating committees and the solidarity of the membership throughout the industry have been rewarded with fair contracts for everyone," Conway said. "We made it a priority to raise wages and retain cost-of-living adjustments without giving in to management's demands that we sacrifice quality, affordable health insurance options."

The newly ratified contracts feature wage increases, maintain cost-of-living adjustments, provide lump-sum payments, improve retirement options, eliminate two-tier wage systems, provide access to much improved health care for some members—that was previously unavailable to them—and preserve access to quality, affordable health insurance plans for all of the membership.

The agreements also allow recently hired and younger employees to accrue vacation and progress through the wage scales more quickly in an effort to help the employers retain more workers.

The contracts with Goodyear and Bridgestone set terms for four years, while the Michelin-BF Goodrich agreement is set to expire after three.

The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in tech, higher education, public sector and service occupations.

More information, contact: Tony Montana – (412) 562-2592 or [email protected]

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)