FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (March 23) — Hourly workers at Goodyear's radial passenger and light truck tire plant in Fayetteville ratified a new agreement March 21 covering local issues not in the United Steelworkers master contract.
About 78 percent of the voting members approved the deal, which covers issues such as vacation, scheduling and hiring, according to Darryl Jackson, USW Local 959 president. The Fayetteville plant employs about 2,100 hourly workers, he said.
One of the main sticking points during the five weeks of negotiations was forced vacation, Jackson said. Goodyear had wanted the workers to take two weeks of vacation at a time of the company's choosing. The two sides agreed on one week of forced vacation over the July Fourth holiday, he said.
Wages, pension, health care and other financial issues were covered in the USW/Goodyear master contract, which workers in Fayetteville and at 11 other company manufacturing sites ratified in December. The three-year contract agreement was reached following an 86-day strike against the company in the U.S. and Canada, covering more than 12,000 workers.