8 Apr 2005
Texarkana, Arkansas --Negotiators for Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and the United Steelworkers union have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract that would end a four-week strike at the company's Texarkana tyre plant.
The two sides finalised the tentative deal April 6, and the executive board of USWA Local 752 unanimously approved it at about 9 p.m. that night, according to Don Davies, staff representative for USWA Local 752. Information meetings for the 1600 members of USWA Local 752 will be held April 9, with a ratification vote scheduled for April 10, a union spokesman said.
The company and union hadn't met since a federal mediator was brought in March 24. Talks broke off afterwards and there had been a "complete deadlock" in negotiations, said Don Davies, staff representative for USWA District 12. The mediator called for another meeting the week of April 4, and the two sides decided to meet early on April 6 before the mediator arrived, he said. But the negotiators worked out the tentative pact without the mediator's help, Davies said.
Press release from Cooper
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