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7 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 72/2000
Union members at nine US plants of leading tyre multinational Bridgestone/Firestone were not immediately called out on strike at one minute after midnight this morning, when their collective agreements expired.
However, they remain poised for industrial action as negotiations continue between the company and the tyre workers' union, the United Steelworkers of America (USWA).
The union's President George Becker announced last night that the start of the strike would be postponed, as the talks with the company had made some progress.
"Key elements of a settlement are yet to be resolved, and much drafting will remain if and when an agreement in principle is reached," Becker said. "But we have made enough progress over the past two days that the union is willing to continue working while bargaining goes on."
There would be no formal extension of the contracts (collective agreements), Becker stated, but the union's members at all the plants would "continue working under the terms and conditions of their expired contract while we see if we can reach an agreement."
Union negotiators stressed that members will be working day to day, and will not indefinitely postpone a strike.
"This will not be a long-term process," said John Sellers, USWA Executive Vice-President and chair of the union’s negotiating team. "We will either have an agreement with Bridgestone/Firestone in very short order, or we will have a labour dispute."
The USWA is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which recently set up a global network of trade unions in Bridgestone - see ICEM UPDATE 66/2000.
This week, unions organising Bridgestone workers around the world have put the company under mounting pressure to reach a settlement in the US.
However, they remain poised for industrial action as negotiations continue between the company and the tyre workers' union, the United Steelworkers of America (USWA).
The union's President George Becker announced last night that the start of the strike would be postponed, as the talks with the company had made some progress.
"Key elements of a settlement are yet to be resolved, and much drafting will remain if and when an agreement in principle is reached," Becker said. "But we have made enough progress over the past two days that the union is willing to continue working while bargaining goes on."
There would be no formal extension of the contracts (collective agreements), Becker stated, but the union's members at all the plants would "continue working under the terms and conditions of their expired contract while we see if we can reach an agreement."
Union negotiators stressed that members will be working day to day, and will not indefinitely postpone a strike.
"This will not be a long-term process," said John Sellers, USWA Executive Vice-President and chair of the union’s negotiating team. "We will either have an agreement with Bridgestone/Firestone in very short order, or we will have a labour dispute."
The USWA is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which recently set up a global network of trade unions in Bridgestone - see ICEM UPDATE 66/2000.
This week, unions organising Bridgestone workers around the world have put the company under mounting pressure to reach a settlement in the US.