As the USW tagged Michelin North America as the target for a pattern agreement, the union wanted to see how those contract negotiations played out. However, contract talks between Goodyear and the USW – and presumably between Bridgestone/Firestone and the union – will continue.

Meanwhile, in its most recent Solidarity Alert to Goodyear union workers, the USW Bargaining Committee stated that the “union’s agenda in this round of negotiations” can be summarized in three words: “Unity, Protection and Security.”

The USW is looking for what it calls a “fair and equitable contract” that provides for wage increases, benefit coverage, seniority rights, pensions, protection of retirees’ pension and medical coverage, job security “and the other things that let our members and their families enjoy a middle-class lifestyle in the coming years.”

Elsewhere, the USW rejected Michelin’s initial contract proposal on July 14. According to the USW, “the company proposed drastic cuts across the board on pension, wages, health care and retiree benefits.”