USWA sets target date for tentative contract agreement

CINCINNATI (June 9)—The United Steelworkers of America has targeted June 27 as the last possible date for it to reach a tentative agreement with Goodyear before it recesses ongoing contract talks in Cincinnati. The union told the company of its plans at a June 5 meeting with Goodyear officials. The USWA is setting a timeline to help address unresolved issues at the bargaining table, and believes additional time in Cincinnati "would be of no value," according to a union Web site. The two sides have been negotiating since March 13, and the USWA selected Goodyear as its target for 2003 master contract negotiations on April 7. The day-to-day contract extension the union has been working under since mid-April can be terminated with 72-hour notice, and strike authorization votes have been taken at 14 Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly-Springfield tire and rubber production sites.