ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 28, 1996 TAG: 9603280045
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
Noisy rally fails to let the air out of tire store
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. of Nashville, Tenn., which last year hired thousands of replacement workers for striking union employees, was the target of angry shouts and jeers Wednesday outside Tanglewood Mall.
Just how many voices there were, however, depends on who does the counting.
The United Steelworkers of America, which called the protest to advertise a worldwide boycott of the company's products, had promoted the event as a turnout of at least 400 people. Union officers at the event said 300 were present and declared it a success.
A Roanoke Times reporter counted 107 people at the rally's 4:30 p.m. starting time and 146 a half-hour later.
It was the second such local gathering since last summer and may not be the last. William Nugent, a steelworkers official, told the crowd: "We have to do this over and over and over again. The momentum's building and I believe it's on our side."
United Steelworkers Local 1023, whose 900 members work at Yokohama Tire Corp. in Salem, has bought $3,600 worth of billboard space in the Roanoke Valley to support the boycott.
Although the dispute has had no direct impact on Yokohama, the pickets elicited a chorus of horn honking from traffic.
Dwight Taylor, the manager of the Tanglewood shop that was the direct target of the protest, Firestone Tire and Service Inc., said he could not comment on the dispute, but the noisy protest "helped a lot more people learn where we are."
- Staff report
Sterile Concepts gets higher bid
A Texas-based medical company has increased its bid for Sterile Concepts Holdings Inc. to $135 million, but Maxxim Medical Inc. said the medical tray maker has until Monday to decide.
Sterile Concepts of Richmond, formerly a unit of Carilion Health System of Roanoke, said Wednesday it has hired Wheat First Butcher Singer to help it explore its strategic alternatives, including a possible combination with another company, without mentioning Maxxim by name.
Maxxim has made other two other bids for Sterile Concepts, but offers of $16 a share and $17.75 a share were rejected. The most recent offer amounts to $19 a share.
Maxxim stopped short of saying it was a final offer but indicated growing impatience with Sterile Concepts' lack of response.
- Staff report
LENGTH: Medium: 53 linesby CNB