Unionised Cooper workers vote down tentative labour pact

ERJ staff report (TB)

Findlay, Ohio -- Union workers at Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s

Findlay manufacturing plant voted down a tentative three-year labour

pact Nov. 27 by 301 votes.

The agreement, reached Nov. 23, was shot down by members of the

United Steelworkers (USW) Local 207L by a margin of 606 to 305. The

union's old agreement, reached in 2008 when Cooper announced it would

close one of its US plants, expired Oct. 31. USW workers at the plant

made $30 million in wage and benefit concessions during those contract

negotiations.

A spokeswoman for Cooper said the tyre maker is not commenting on

negotiations with union members at this time as they are still ongoing.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)