The United Steelworkers and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. will resume contract negotiations in June, both sides said Thursday.
Negotiations on a new contract started Monday in Cincinnati. The current three-year contract that covers thousands of union workers expires July 27.
Steelworkers contracts also expire that date with Bridgestone Americas and Michelin’s B.F. Goodrich subsidiary. Union negotiations with those two tire makers are scheduled to start in June.
Akron-based Goodyear and the USW issued brief statements Thursday.
Goodyear’s statement, in full, reads: “Negotiations are progressing positively. Goodyear and the USW have exchanged a few beginning proposals and both sides have decided to work in their respective locations to review the details of the proposals with their actuaries. In-person negotiations will resume, in Cincinnati, in early June.”
Goodyear declined to comment beyond what was in its statement.
The Steelworkers statement, in full, reads: “The United Steelworkers (USW) announced today a week of contract talks in Cincinnati with Goodyear have ended and will start up again in June. The current three-year agreement runs until July 27, 2013.
“Initial proposals were exchanged and both parties will now begin the process of analyzing the offers and counter-proposals. Wages, health care and pensions top the list of issues set for the bargaining table.
“The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that embrace metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors, including some 8,500 members employed at six Goodyear production locations in the United States.”
Goodyear says it employs about 8,000 Steelworkers at six U.S. factories, including about 300 union members at its Akron plant that makes NASCAR race tires.
The Steelworkers website is www.usw.org.
Goodyear’s contract negotiations website is www.goodyearnegotiations.com.
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com.