Local Goodyear workers take strike to NYC
Terri Hawthorne stood just five feet from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Thursday afternoon as he accepted a flyer from a fellow Goodyear union member in New York City’s Grand Central Station.
Not a typical day in the life of the 14-year Goodyear employee from Lincoln.
“It’s been an eye-opening experience,” Hawthorne said of the past week, much of which she’s spent handing out flyers in New York.
Along with fellow Goodyear union members, Hawthorne was in New York trying to educate people during NASCAR Victory Week about what the United Steelworkers union says is a potential safety risk to customers during a labor strike.
More than 12,000 union workers in the United States and Canada — including hundreds at a factory in Lincoln — have been on strike since Oct. 5 after the company and union negotiators failed to agree on a new labor contract.
Since the strike began, Goodyear has been making tires at some of its plants with nonunion and temporary workers, as well as managers.
The Lincoln plant produces various kinds of belts, but does not make tires.
In making its case against the use of temporary workers this week, the United Steelworkers union cited a 2002 study by Princeton University that examined the causes of the Firestone and Ford recall of 14.4 million tires in 2000.
According to the steelworkers, the study linked labor strife, including the use of replacement workers, with the production of defective tires.
The company, however, argued its safety procedures have not been affected by the strike.
“Goodyear will never compromise quality,” said spokesman Ed Markey. “We have systems and procedures in place to ensure every tire meets our safety standards.”
Markey declined comment on the study, but said the company has dedicated, full-time experts who work to ensure safety standards are met by temporary workers.
Markey also cited recently released independent quality audits of three of the company’s tire manufacturing plants that, he said, found the company was meeting safety standards.
NSF Industrial Strategic Registrations, an independent quality auditor, conducted audits at three of Goodyear’s plants affected by the steelworkers’ strike.
The audits found Goodyear to be 100 percent compliant with “international quality systems standards,” according to a company news release.
Said Joe Gingo, Goodyear’s chief quality officer: “The bottom line is that the public can be confident in the quality of Goodyear tires.”
Back in New York, Wayne Fiedler of Lincoln joined Hawthorne in taking his union’s strike to the streets, handing out pamphlets to NASCAR drivers and other employees.
The union chose to target NASCAR employees and drivers because Goodyear is the exclusive provider of tires for the event.
Fiedler said the NASCAR drivers have generally seemed concerned when informed of the use of temporary workers during the strike.
“There are some safety concerns with inexperienced workers building their tires,” he said.
Reach Kevin Abourezk at 473-7225 or kabourezk@journalstar.com.
Demonstration planned
Striking Goodyear workers plan to hold demonstrations at tire stores across the country today, including in Lincoln.
United Steelworkers members, retirees and supporters will gather at 8 a.m. at the Graham Tire locations at 21st and Cornhusker and 68th and O to “educate the public about the ongoing labor dispute at 15 North American Goodyear plants,” according to a news release from the union.
Not a typical day in the life of the 14-year Goodyear employee from Lincoln.
“It’s been an eye-opening experience,” Hawthorne said of the past week, much of which she’s spent handing out flyers in New York.
Along with fellow Goodyear union members, Hawthorne was in New York trying to educate people during NASCAR Victory Week about what the United Steelworkers union says is a potential safety risk to customers during a labor strike.
More than 12,000 union workers in the United States and Canada — including hundreds at a factory in Lincoln — have been on strike since Oct. 5 after the company and union negotiators failed to agree on a new labor contract.
Since the strike began, Goodyear has been making tires at some of its plants with nonunion and temporary workers, as well as managers.
The Lincoln plant produces various kinds of belts, but does not make tires.
In making its case against the use of temporary workers this week, the United Steelworkers union cited a 2002 study by Princeton University that examined the causes of the Firestone and Ford recall of 14.4 million tires in 2000.
According to the steelworkers, the study linked labor strife, including the use of replacement workers, with the production of defective tires.
The company, however, argued its safety procedures have not been affected by the strike.
“Goodyear will never compromise quality,” said spokesman Ed Markey. “We have systems and procedures in place to ensure every tire meets our safety standards.”
Markey declined comment on the study, but said the company has dedicated, full-time experts who work to ensure safety standards are met by temporary workers.
Markey also cited recently released independent quality audits of three of the company’s tire manufacturing plants that, he said, found the company was meeting safety standards.
NSF Industrial Strategic Registrations, an independent quality auditor, conducted audits at three of Goodyear’s plants affected by the steelworkers’ strike.
The audits found Goodyear to be 100 percent compliant with “international quality systems standards,” according to a company news release.
Said Joe Gingo, Goodyear’s chief quality officer: “The bottom line is that the public can be confident in the quality of Goodyear tires.”
Back in New York, Wayne Fiedler of Lincoln joined Hawthorne in taking his union’s strike to the streets, handing out pamphlets to NASCAR drivers and other employees.
The union chose to target NASCAR employees and drivers because Goodyear is the exclusive provider of tires for the event.
Fiedler said the NASCAR drivers have generally seemed concerned when informed of the use of temporary workers during the strike.
“There are some safety concerns with inexperienced workers building their tires,” he said.
Reach Kevin Abourezk at 473-7225 or kabourezk@journalstar.com.
Demonstration planned
Striking Goodyear workers plan to hold demonstrations at tire stores across the country today, including in Lincoln.
United Steelworkers members, retirees and supporters will gather at 8 a.m. at the Graham Tire locations at 21st and Cornhusker and 68th and O to “educate the public about the ongoing labor dispute at 15 North American Goodyear plants,” according to a news release from the union.
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