Goodyear to reduce production at Fayetteville

ERJ staff report (R&PN)

Fayetteville, North Carolina - Goodyear plans to reduce production at its Fayetteville consumer tyre plant because of lower demand, a company spokesman said.

The cutbacks are following a two-week furlough of workers at the company's Gadsden, Ala., tyre plant as the company adjusted production to market demand.

Goodyear will make the Fayetteville production cuts as it focuses on creating the appropriate product mix for the current market, according to the spokesman. The company is negotiating with United Steelworkers Local 959 about what production will be reduced and when, he said.

The ultimate decision probably will affect about 1 percent of the total workforce in Fayetteville, he said.

The Fayetteville plant, which originally produced Kelly-Springfield tyres when it opened in 1969, employs approximately 2,800. In April 2011, Goodyear reported it a daily capacity of 56,000 units at the site, and the company planned to spend $75 million over five years to convert capacity of 3 million tyres annually to higher-margin models.

Local 959 President Darryl Jackson said he wasn't ready to comment on the situation because he needed to present the issue to his membership first. Officials of USW International union could not be reached for comment.

At Gadsden, Goodyear gave 157 workers two weeks off beginning Sept. 29 and another 231 workers one week during the period.

The staff members still were off as of Oct. 9, the company spokesman said.

From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)