A U.S. judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by French union workers against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The suit was the latest action in a dispute between the tiremaker and its workers at its tire facility in Amiens, France.
The U.S. District Court Judge in Cleveland, Sara Lioi, ruled against workers who sued to block the shutdown of the plant. Attorneys for the union said the CGT will appeal the decision.
The union claimed the tiremaker breached its contract with the union when it cut production at the plant without notifying the union. Additionally workers sought $4 million in damages.
In the 14-page decision, the Lioi said the class-action lawsuit failed to prove the claims of contract violation or interference of Goodyear in its French operations. The tiremaker has been trying to restructure operations at the plant for several years. In January 2013, Goodyear announced it planned to shut the facility after five years of failing to reach an agreement with CGT.
Recently in the dispute, plant workers seized two managers for two days before police intervention.
(https://www.tirereview.com/Article/122408/french_workers_kidnap_goodyear_managers.aspx)
Goodyear Dunlop Tires France have filed an ‘arbitrary detention and abduction’ complaint following the abduction.
https://www.tirereview.com/Article/122490/goodyear_files_complaint_over_boss_napping.aspx
