ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 22, 1997 TAG: 9704220084
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: AKRON, OHIO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
The strike involves plants in Danville as well as Akron, St. Marys and Marysville in Ohio.
As contract talks resumed Monday, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said it was determined to fill customer orders despite the United Steelworkers of America strike at nine plants in seven states.
Some 12,000 workers struck at midnight Saturday over job security, outsourcing, wages, benefits and other issues.
The average Goodyear production worker makes about $18 an hour, about $1 an hour more than what rival Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. pays its workers.
Curt Brown, a union spokesman in Pittsburgh, said Monday the union felt Goodyear's last offer ``was regressive ... in traditional areas of wages and benefits.'' He would not elaborate.
The union also is concerned about Goodyear contracting out work that union employees could do, Brown said.
Goodyear spokesman John Perduyn did not provide production levels at the affected plants or say whether production had increased at nonstriking facilities in response to the walkout.
``We have every intention of serving our customers,'' he said. ``We are confident we can do that.''
John Burton, a pipefitter who has worked for Goodyear in Akron for 32 years, doubted strikebound plants could produce much.
``I think they'll just do some painting, cleaning and sweeping,'' he said.
In Sun Prairie, Wis., striker Gary Paepke said he was ready to find temporary work driving tractors for farmers.
``But how far can $6 an hour go? I've got a 3-month-old baby in diapers and on formula,'' he said.
Marcus Whorton transferred to the Sun Prairie plant from Gadsen, Ala., in January. He has been on strike against the company before. That walkout three years ago ended after one hour.
``Goodyear is my roots,'' he said. ``My dad worked for the company for 37 years. These are roots I gotta follow. But it's not going to be easy right now.''
Perduyn said the company was pleased that talks - which broke off before the strike deadline Saturday - had resumed promptly.
He did not know if progress was being made in the talks in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The union has targeted Goodyear and its Kelly-Springfield Tire & Rubber Co. division as the pattern-setter in this year's negotiations for tire and rubber industry labor contracts.
The strike involves plants in Akron, St. Marys and Marysville in Ohio; Gadsden; Union City, Tenn.; Danville, Va.; Sun Prairie; Lincoln, Neb.; and Topeka, Kan.
Another 8,000 workers at eight other Goodyear locations are working under different contracts.
Last week Goodyear reported $170.4 million in first-quarter profits, a 12.3 percent increase.
LENGTH: Medium: 64 linesby CNB