news
Cooper Rubber & Tire workers in Findlay, Ohio, who have been locked out since Nov.28, have reached a tentative five-year labor deal with the company.
The 1,050 workers were locked out after the United Steelworkers union Local 207L rejected a three-year deal with the company, which is based in Findlay. The union said the terms were unfair, the company of course said it was.
Anyway, after reaching labor deals with its workers in Texarkana, Ark., last month, and most recently, with workers in Clarksdale, Miss., and fleet truck drivers in Findlay, it looks like the a deal could be reached with the remaining workers.
The vote is set for Monday. Details of the deal haven't been disclosed but will be revealed to workers Saturday.
Here's some press release stuff from Cooper Tire:
... both Cooper and the union leadership feel the new tentative agreement reached today addresses many of the concerns expressed by the membership and allows Cooper to attain the productivity it requires to remain competitive in North America.
“The Findlay plant and its members have been a critical component of Cooper’s success throughout the years as well as a key contributor to the Findlay community,” said Jack Hamilton, Findlay Plant Manager. “Our main objective during this negotiation was to attain a long-term agreement that better positioned the Findlay plant to succeed in a global competitive environment. We are happy to have reached an agreement that will bring our co-workers back to work with a competitive compensation and benefits package while also solidifying Cooper’s ability to profitably grow our business in the North American market.”
Rod Nelson, President of USW Local 207L, added, “Our members wanted a fair contract, and we want this plant to be the best in the Ccompany. Through some difficult negotiations, we were able to tackle several key issues our people had with the previous tentative agreement and help the company reach its productivity goals. We are proud to work for Cooper and look forward to contributing to its future.”
Details of when the Findlay plant employees will return to work will be released upon ratification of the tentative agreement.
---------------
Workers from Cooper's closed plant in Albany, Ga., helped fill in as temporary help during the lockout, as did some workers from the Cooper plant in Tupelo. The plant in Tupelo employs some 1,200 workers.