Bridgstone Firestone North American Tire LLC (BFNT) and the United Steelworkers have reached a tentative agreement for the tiremaker's master contract with the union.
The agreement covers union workers at tire plants in Akron, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; and LaVergne, Tenn., "as well as union teammates at the Firestone tube plant in Russellville, Ark., and the Firestone air spring plant in Noblesville, Ind.
"Tentative agreements have also been reached for the maintenance group located in the LaVergne, Tenn., tire plant and for the tire plant in Bloomington, Ill.
"Regarding the Warren County, Tenn., tire plant and the separate agreement covering that facility, talks have resulted in a framework for a new agreement, which will be presented to the Warren County membership for ratification," BFNT officials explain.
"It has been our goal throughout this process to achieve contracts that are in the best interests of both parties and allow our companies to participate successfully in a fiercely competitive global marketplace. We believe these agreements are reflective of that goal. We now look forward to the union membership’s ratification vote, a process which will likely take several days."
Agreements, if approved by union membership, will expire in July 2009.
