= USW member on line in St. Marys, Ohio.

GOODYEAR TIRE AND RUBBER

Steelworkers shut down U.S.
plants to beat back concessions
The United Steelworkers struck

eat back the ee
ny’s call for concessions. Ove

12,000 workers walked out a
plants in Akron, Ohio; Gadsden,
Alabama; Buffalo, New York; St.
Marys, Ohio; Lincoln, Nebraska;
Topeka, Kansas; Tyler, Texas;
Danville Virginia; Marysville, Ohio;

Carolina. In addition, USW mem-
bers at three Ontario, Canada
plants have hit the bricks (see story
on page

e pany continues to want
to not ae responsibility to pay
retiree health care costs.

e union has advised the
employer that it will return to the
bargaining table if the company
will provide security to all USW fac-
tories and address health care
Costs. Goodyear wants to close its
Tyler, Texas plant.

SW International Vice President

plants with scabs during the strike,
could cause goes’ defects to
tires produc

Earlier is summer a patt
agreement, on basics wages, Pies
fits and job security was set by the
USW at three BF Goodrich tire
Plants in the U.S

= ii ille, Tennessee to protest ruling. usw

> A funeral for American Workers’ rights Steelworkers members, bear-
ing “I Won't Give up my Rights at Work” signs in several U.S. states joined
protests in early October against a September 29 ruling by the National Labour
Relations Board, entitled the Kentucky River Decision. The decision, which
ruled on th ‘parate cases, could effectively p 8 million
American workers from joining a union, should it stand. In Nashville,
Tennessee, USW members joined a funeral march led by a New Orleans-style
band. Workers wore Mardi Gras beads and black arm bands to protest the
board’s redefinition of what constitutes a supervisor and can disqualify individ-
uals from joining a union. Workers in building trades, ports, news and TV sta-
tions, and nurses could be left out in the cold, along with other employees
deemed to be supervisors, even if they give “independent direction” to workers
for only 10-15 pee cent of the time. rowiseradls of union members have contact-
ed their asking for them to pressure the NLRB
to reconsider the case andl stop its ban on oral testimony. [> USW and
SOAR lead call for Universal Medicare Steelworker International
Secretary-Treasurer Jim English told a hearing that America’s health care sys-
tem is in shambles. Speaking to an audience! in Aleut
Pennsylvania, Brother English said i

inexpensive. The meeting, co-sponsored by tie USW and the
Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) was also
attended by Steelworkers local union reps and retirees. The union
supports the Health-Care Now initiative which backs
Congressman’s John Conyers Jr.’s Bill 676, calling for universal
medicare, with no premiums, deductible or co-pays. In other words, what they
want is a universal health care system for all U.S. residents that is similar to
universal health care in Canada.

et
Jim English

THE ALLIED WORKER DECEMBER 2006 | 33