AKRON (Dec. 28) — Some striking members of the United Steelworkers started voting Dec. 27 on the union´s tentative three-year pact with Goodyear, with at least two locals already approving the contract.
A spokeswoman at Local 286, which represents workers at Goodyear´s belt and hose plant in Lincoln, Neb., said their membership approved the pact. The local is not providing the vote totals or margin until all union members have voted.
Local 878 in Union City, Tenn., also approved the pact, with 64 percent voting in favor, a representative said.
Voting is expected to finish Dec. 28 at all 12 U.S. plants covered by the master contract. Workers at four Canadian plants also are expected to vote yet this week on a separate contract proposal.
USW Local 831 in Danville, Va., also started voting Dec. 27, though the results are not yet complete.
Danny Barber, president of Local 831, said about 1,600 to 1,700 of his members turned out to vote, and union leaders were counting the votes early Dec. 28. The local represents about 2,000 workers at Goodyear´s Danville tire plant, he said.
Goodyear and union negotiators agreed on a tentative pact Dec. 22. It must be approved by a "majority of the majority," or a majority of the locals as well as a majority of the overall membership.
If ratified, the pact would end the nearly three-month-old strike.