On Nov. 18, true to its word, the United Steelworkers (USW) kicked off what it calls "an international effort to educate the public about the ongoing labor dispute at 15 North American Goodyear plants."
The union's mobilization efforts included announced demonstrations at Goodyear tire stores in Cleveland, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wis.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Richmond, Va.; Beaumont, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Chicago; Ill.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Nashville, Tenn. (where Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC is headquartered); and the USW's home city of Pittsburg. In Canada, the union was scheduled to demonstrate in Vancouver, B.C., Montreal, Quebec, and Hamilton, Ontario.
The union also said it would carry its "outreach" program to tire stores in other cities. That included Akron, Ohio; the Local 2, District 1 union visited the Goodyear company-owned store at Summit Mall in Akron Saturday.
Craig Hemsley, the local's staff representative, joined his members in handing out "Consumer Safety Alerts" about tires being manufactured at the Goodyear plants directly affected by the strike. A union spokesman estimated about 30 union workers were on hand.
The protest continued even after police asked the strikers to move off the immediate property.
The union vows to ramp up its public campaign for a fair union contract at Goodyear throughout the holiday season and "as long as it takes to gain justice."
