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7 August, 2005ICEM news release No. 73/2000
Tyre multinational Bridgestone has reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), the union confirmed today.
The breakthrough is a big success for the American union - and for organised labour in Bridgestone worldwide.
Bridgestone workers' unions on all continents had pressed the company to reach a US settlement, as had the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
The proposed deal is for new contracts (collective agreements) at nine unionised Bridgestone/Firestone plants in the US. A major strike was narrowly averted, as the contracts had expired at midnight on 1 September.
The settlement is subject to approval by the membership, and the USWA will not be commenting in detail on the package until it has been seen by the rank-and-file in the Bridgestone plants. However, it is understood to mean important gains for the union in terms of wages, benefits, pensions, seniority, restrictions on contracting out, grievances and arbitration procedures. In addition, all the various agreements now have a common expiration date.
International union support for the American Bridgestone workers was mobilised via the global network of unions in Bridgestone recently set up by the ICEM.
"During this difficult time, the existence of the network has proved to be a valuable tool," commented ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs today.
The breakthrough is a big success for the American union - and for organised labour in Bridgestone worldwide.
Bridgestone workers' unions on all continents had pressed the company to reach a US settlement, as had the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
The proposed deal is for new contracts (collective agreements) at nine unionised Bridgestone/Firestone plants in the US. A major strike was narrowly averted, as the contracts had expired at midnight on 1 September.
The settlement is subject to approval by the membership, and the USWA will not be commenting in detail on the package until it has been seen by the rank-and-file in the Bridgestone plants. However, it is understood to mean important gains for the union in terms of wages, benefits, pensions, seniority, restrictions on contracting out, grievances and arbitration procedures. In addition, all the various agreements now have a common expiration date.
International union support for the American Bridgestone workers was mobilised via the global network of unions in Bridgestone recently set up by the ICEM.
"During this difficult time, the existence of the network has proved to be a valuable tool," commented ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs today.