CLARKSDALE, Miss.—United Steelworkers Local 556 in Clarksdale has ratified a new four-year labor agreement with the Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
"We are pleased a contract was reached that works for the company and our union members," Joseph Qualls, USW Local 556 president, said in a statement. "This is an example of labor and management working together in a positive way to move the Clarksdale facility forward into the future."
Cooper said in a statement the deal covers more than 40 USW members. Details of the agreement were not disclosed. The factory makes bladders and does mixing, according to information on Cooper Tire's website.
"Cooper welcomes the ratification of this new collective bargaining agreement," Clarksdale Plant Manager Fred Doster said in a statement. "We commend the union for working together with the company to address what is important to employees and to the global competitiveness of the Clarksdale plant."
The USW and Cooper have had a busy February as the pair reached an agreement with USW Local 752 covering 1,440 unionized employees at the tire maker's Texarkana, Ark. factory. That contract also spans four years.
Cooper operates another manufacturing facility in Findlay, Ohio, represented by USW Local 207. That agreement runs through Feb. 28, 2020.