Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 15, 1994 TAG: 9405150066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: E-8 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: AKRON, OHIO LENGTH: Medium
Curt Brown, a spokesman for United Rubber Workers based in Akron, said Friday that workers were asked to return while union members voted on a final company offer. Workers had walked off their jobs Friday at the St. Marys plant and at plants in Gadsen, Ala.; Union City, Tenn.; and Danville.
Brown said the union's negotiating committee decided after the 6 p.m. contract negotiation deadline Friday to conduct the vote.
In Danville, plant manager Ed Steffey said operations were back to normal Saturday.
"It is important that we continue to work on a day-to-day basis to service our customers and protect jobs in Danville from domestic and foreign competitors," Steffey said.
Workers at the Tennessee plant were notified they should report to work Saturday, said plant spokesman Jimmy Cagle. He said most second-shift employees were filing in on schedule Saturday.
A statement issued Saturday by Goodyear confirmed that the URW had agreed to take a contract package back to nine locals for explanation and a vote. The statement gave no details of the package, but said employees would continue to work on a day-to-day basis.
Brown said he expected the vote to take about 10 days.
URW officials at the Alabama plant said workers returned to work Saturday.
Glenn Osborn, a security guard at the St. Marys plant, said workers had returned with operations at full capacity. The plant planned to run extra shifts today, he said.
The two sides had returned to the bargaining table Wednesday after five of nine Goodyear unions turned down a tentative agreement reached April 24.
About 12,000 URW members work at the nine plants.
The Marysville and Akron plants did not go on strike Friday, as well as plants in Sun Prairie, Wis.; Topeka, Kan.; and Lincoln, Neb.
by CNB