USW membership ratifies Michelin contract

Less than a week after a tentative agreement was reached, local membership of the United Steelworkers (USW) union at the BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing plants in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Fort Wayne, Ind., have ratified a new three-year labor agreement.

(For more information, see "Michelin, union reach tentative agreement.")

“The new agreement is geared toward improving flexibility and reducing operating costs significantly over the life of the contract, giving these plants the chance they need to compete in a highly competitive market,” says Dave Lowe, vice president of employee and labor relations for Michelin North America Inc.

“The Tuscaloosa and Ft. Wayne  plants provide quality products for our customers and contribute to their local economies,” he says. "It is critical that the company work together with our BFGoodrich employees and the USW to improve the competitiveness of these plants for the mutual benefit of the employees, the company and the communities.”

The agreement covers approximately 2,500 USW-represented workers at the two plants.

Combined, the two plants have the capacity to produce 56,000 consumer tires a day, according to Modern Tire Dealer's 2009 Facts Issue.