Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and the striking United Steelworkers of America are heading back to negotiations. The company and the union on Thursday announced they will meet, possibly as early as next week. Goodyear first announced Thursday morning it was sending its negotiators to Cincinnati, where talks had been taking place up until 15,000 Steelworkers went on strike Oct. 5, and hoped the union would join them. In the afternoon, the USW said it was willing to talk as well. Goodyear has placed its latest contract proposal to the Steelworkers on its negotiations Web site, www.goodyearnegotiations.com. As part of the company’s release of its third-quarter earnings report Thursday morning, Goodyear Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Keegan told financial analysts that the company now preferred to directly address its 15,000 striking Steelworker employees. The previous three-year contract expired July 22, but was extended on a day-by-day basis until early October when negotiations broke down. Goodyear is losing $30 million to $35 million a week in operating income because of the strike, Keegan said.(more at Ohio.com) and past news on this abd how it effects NASCAR on my Sponsors News page.(11-12-2006)
