DETROIT (Aug. 7) — A deal late last week between Goodyear and General Motors Corp. averted—at least temporarily—a stalemate that had threatened to disrupt the opening of GM´s plant in Delta Township, Mich.
GM said late Aug. 4 that Goodyear has resumed shipment of tires to the auto maker, easing fears that a simmering dispute over prices would create shortages at Delta Township and other GM plants.
In a July 31 lawsuit filed in suburban Detroit, GM sought an injunction ordering Goodyear to keep delivering tires. According to the suit, Goodyear had told GM on July 19 that it would cease work on tires for the Lambda program, the GMT900 SUV platform and commercial trucks unless terms of the contracts were changed.
The Delta Township plant, near Lansing, is scheduled to make the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook crossovers this year and the Buick Enclave crossover in 2007. All are built on the Lambda platform. GM also said in the suit that the dispute could force the shutdown of other plants.
GM said in its suit that Goodyear had refused to comply with the terms of its contracts unless GM met Goodyear´s "unilateral demands" of higher prices for tires.
It was not clear late Aug. 4 if the agreement was merely a stopgap measure or if agreement had been reached on key pricing issues. A GM spokeswoman said production at the Delta Township plant would proceed as scheduled.
A Goodyear spokesman confirmed Aug. 4 that the company was shipping tires to GM. He said he was not able to comment on the status of the lawsuit.