Continental Tire North America Inc. (CTNA) intends to reduce production at its Mayfield, Ky., plant, which currently builds nearly 18,000 passenger and light truck tires a day at top capacity, according to Modern Tire Dealer statistics.
CTNA officials have not specified the extent of reductions, nor if they will entail job cuts, and if so, how many.
"Continental has a long-standing commitment to Mayfield, but our tire operations have been under extreme competitive pressure for the past several years," they say.
CTNA "has expressed its willingness to discuss the issue" with the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) "but no (further) decisions have been made regarding anything," including possible cut backs at other plants.
CTNA signed a six-year labor agreement with the Steelworkers in 1999 following a lengthy strike.
"We look forward on hearing the union's thoughts in the next few days in order to decide on the best course of action," says a CTNA spokesperson.
The company has two other plants in the United States, its largest in Charlotte, N.C., and a facility in Bryan, Ohio.
