Nearly 13,000 US employees of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co went out on strike on Sunday after negotiators were unable to reach agreement on a new three-year contract.
'We are on strike, but the talks have not broken off ... The next step would be to continue to try to negotiate,' said Curt Brown, spokesman for the United Steelworkers of America, which represents the Goodyear rubber workers.
A spokesman for Goodyear, however, said talks were broken off. 'No new talks have been scheduled,' said Goodyear spokesman John Perduyn.
Brown said the striking workers are employed at nine Goodyear plants in Akron, Ohio, Gadsden, Ala., St. Marys, Ohio, Lincoln, Neb., Topeka, Kansas, Danville, Va., Marysville, Ohio, Union City, Tenn., and Sun Prairie, Wis.
The strike came after nearly two months of discussions between the giant tiremaker and labor representatives in neutral territory at a Cincinnati hotel. It is the first strike against Goodyear since a 140-day work stoppage that paralyzed the tire industry in 1976.
On April 1, Akron-based Goodyear was chosen by the union as its target to set the pattern for 1997 bargaining with the industry in advance of the expiration of Goodyear's three-year labor contract reached in 1994.
Talks progressed until late on Saturday night, but no agreement was in sight at the midnight deadline, Brown said.
'We were just too far apart ... From what I can gather there were quite a few issues. There seems to be quite a disparity,' he said.
Goodyear is the largest U.S. tiremaker and employs 91,000 people at dozens of plants around the world, including 45 in the United States.
'The company has no intention of mortgaging its future by agreeing to a contract that would widen a contractual disadvantage with its competitors,' said Goodyear spokesman Perduyn.
'Goodyear has negotiated in good faith, but has been unable to reach a reasonable solution with the steelworkers.
The company's final offer would improve what already is recognized as one of the best compensation packages in the industry,' Perduyn said.
He said the union's position would restrict Goodyear's flexibility.
Neither side would discuss details of the talks. 'Goodyear intends to maintain production during the strike to serve its customers,' Perduyn added.
Although pattern bargaining was in effect, union workers at Goodyear's largest competitor, Bridgestone Corp have a contract that extends for another three years.
Brown said talks involving Uniroyal Goodrich were recently recessed pending an outcome of the Goodyear talks.
