The last time I posted, I laid out the general information about the USW strike on Goodyear. Merely asking Goodyear for a guarantee to keep all of the 12 production sites in America, these workers have put their jobs on the line to come together and strike against this uncompromising corporation. Now, workers across the ranks in Goodyear are seeing just how far their employer will go to further a point. Goodyear has laid off 300 workers...at a NON-STRIKE PLANT! Follow me over the fold, for their sake.
http://today.reuters.com/...
[Goodyear] plans to temporarily lay off about 300 hourly workers at a North Carolina plant because of the strike against the company by the United Steelworkers union, a Goodyear spokesman said on Wednesday.
The layoffs at the Asheboro, North Carolina, plant will begin after the workers' last shift on Friday, the spokesman, Ed Markey, said. Goodyear expects to recall the workers when the strike ends and tire production returns to normal, he said.
The plant, which was recently organized by the United Steelworkers, produces wire used in tires but was not among the facilities struck by the union.
Why on earth would union workers at a non-striking plant be subject to temporary lay offs? Furthermore, what proof do we have from management that these workers will get their jobs back? So why are these workers getting laid off? Instead of going back to the bargaining table and negotiating with labor, Goodyear is taking another tactic; cutting production and sitting in the bunkers waiting things out against the union.
http://www.tirereview.com/...
With most of its North American tire plants on limited production, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is temporarily laying off some 330 hourly workers at its Asheboro, N.C., steel wire plant. The tiremaker is reducing steel wire production due to the United Steelworkers' strike. The temporary layoffs will begin Friday and will last until the strike is settled and Goodyear's tire plants are back to full production.
This is why we need solidarity. Management will stop at nothing to crush labor, no matter the cost to any of its employees. Management could come back to the negotiating table and make a commitment not to send these production sites overseas, but instead they'll cut production now and work on crippling the hand of labor. For the sake of all workers, I hope that USW stays strong and united. We must continue to pressure Goodyear and bring them back to the negotiating table. The employees of these facilities want nothing more then to go back to work, but they will not tolerate a poor contract that lacks reasonable job security. Goodyear is the third largest producer of tires in the world. The company posts profits in the upward area of 19 billion per year. The actions management have taken show once again that they lack any respect for workers rights or the working conditions of their employees. Let us stand together and show Goodyear and all of management that we've had enough.