03-26-03: Strike looms at Goodyear

03-26-03: Strike looms at Goodyear

By LANCE MIHM
The Daily Standard

    ST. MARYS - Union members at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. Molded Plant in St. Marys are voting on a possible strike.
    Members of United Steel Workers Local 200 are voting on whether to allow union officials to call for a strike if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of employee contract negotiations with plant officials. The vote began after a meeting Sunday and concludes today.
    "This vote is just to give the authority to strike if it came to that," union representative Gary McMullin of St. Marys said. "It doesn't mean that a strike is eminent."
    Contract negotiations with union and company employees began March 13, McMullin said, with each side submitting proposals for the other side to review. Officials are negotiating over salary, work rules, pension plans and insurance. Fourteen plants nationwide are involved in the negotiations.
    If an agreement is not met by midnight April 19, union terms say a strike could begin if union members vote to proceed.
    McMullin would not confirm that a recent slew of employees retiring from the St. Marys plant is due to the pending negotiations, but said it was possible.
    "I can't speak for other people," McMullin said. "I have not discussed it with any of them. But I assume people are thinking it might be the best time to get out."
    Goodyear officials were not available to give exact numbers on workers applying for retirement prior to negotiations beginning this month.
    Results from the vote should be available Thursday, McMullin said.

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