Negotiations between Michelin North America Inc. and the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) continued over the weekend as they tried to hammer out a new labor contract.
(Editor´s note: negotiations were still ongoing as of Thursday, Aug. 19.)
The USWA set Aug. 11 as the original deadline to complete negotiations. Although the deadline came and went, both parties remained at the table, citing "productive talks" (Michelin) and "progress" (the union).
Last year, local union members voted to give USWA leadership the right to call a strike if negotiations hit an impasse.
Michelin says its goal remains to make the three U.S. BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing facilities involved in the negotiations "more competitive and to improve their long-term viability."
More than 3,400 union employees work for BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing, an operating division of Michelin North America. The three plants are located in Opelika and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Fort Wayne, Ind.
