TEXARKANA, Ark.—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and members of the United Steelworkers Local 752 in Texarkana have reached a tentative agreement on a four-year labor contract.
Cooper said in a statement that details are being withheld pending presentation to USW members. A ratification vote is expected to take place within the coming days. A company spokeswoman said the deal covers about 1,440 unionized employees. The firm employs about 1,700 people at Texarkana.
A USW spokesman said the previous deal was set to expire on Jan. 30 after being extended for three years in 2016 as a result of the failed merger between Cooper and Apollo Tyres Ltd.
The USW also represents two other manufacturing plants—Local 556 at Clarksdale, Miss., and Local 207 in Findlay, Ohio. A company spokeswoman confirmed that those facilities are not included in Cooper's proposed deal with Local 752.
Like the original deal with Texarkana, the USW contracts at Clarksdale and Findlay were extended as a result of the failed Cooper and Apollo merger. At the time of the extension, Clarksdale's extended pact was set to run through Feb. 15 while the Findlay extension runs through Feb. 28, 2020.