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Locked-out Cooper Tire and Rubber employees from left, Jason Lotz, Rory Massillo, Greg Bailey, and Terry Halliwill picket Tuesday outside the plant in Findlay.
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Cooper Tire locks out workers in Findlay

The Blade/Dave Zapotosky

Cooper Tire locks out workers in Findlay

Union to picket, file charge with national labor board

FINDLAY — Picketing is expected to begin Tuesday by workers locked out of a Findlay factory by Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.

About 1,050 workers represented by the United Steelworkers were not permitted into the plant Monday — the day after they rejected a tentative labor agreement that included pay cuts and higher insurance premiums. The nation’s fourth-largest tire manufacturer told arriving workers that the plant was on “extended holiday shutdown,” and later in the day issued a statement saying it would continue production using temporary workers.

The union said Monday night it would pursue unfair labor practice charges against the company with the National Labor Relations Board. Union District Director Dave McCall said the union is committed to negotiating a fair contract at the plant, which makes tires for pickup trucks.

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Union Subdirector Patrick Gallagher said in a statement: “These negotiations have been hindered considerably by Cooper’s behavior at the bargaining table and the company’s determination to instigate a labor dispute.”

He said the company refused the union’s offer to continue working as bargaining continued. No new negotiations have been scheduled.

Steelworkers Local 207 President Rod Nelson, who represents the workers at the plant, said picketing would start Tuesday. He said the company plans to bring in outside labor.

The company, which did not return repeated calls for comment, issued a statement late in the day that said production would continue with a temporary work force but did not explain how that would be done nor provide other details about production plans.

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Cooper Tire issued a statement Monday afternoon: “The company advanced several options to avoid the contract overlap that is looming, including a last, best, and final proposal for a new long-term contract and an offer to extend the recently expired contract for an additional year with no change in terms.

“The USW was unwilling to extend the contract more than 30 days, which would have placed the labor agreements at two of Cooper’s major U.S. facilities even closer together.”

The plant was shut down all of last week for the Thanksgiving holiday but was scheduled to resume production Monday. Shortly before 4 p.m. union officials got word the employees would be locked out.

Mr. Gallagher said the lockout is illegal, but said the union would “try to continue to meet with the company to reach a fair agreement.”

Cooper Tire, based in Findlay, is the second-largest employer in Hancock County.

The specific details of the offered contract were not disclosed, but union officials said employees were being asked to pay more toward their health insurance premium and absorb pay cuts — some of which were termed drastic. Mr. Nelson said employees who work in service jobs maintaining the plant’s machines, for example, would have had their pay slashed 40 percent.

Those details could not be confirmed with the company.

“We’re not talking strike,” Mr. Nelson said. “What we’re talking is just get back to the table and work with the company to get a fair contract, and I don’t believe it’s impossible to get to where we want to be.”

The tentative agreement was defeated 2-1.

Mr. Nelson said one major area of concern for the union was a company plan to re-evaluate the pay range for each job based on the movement of the worker rather than the speed of production. Under the proposal, some employees would have been grandfathered into keeping their pay scale, although according to Mr. Nelson, that would have a set time period and would result in cuts for newer employees. “We agree that our system is outdated, but we need to have the same earning opportunity when they put this system in,” he said.

Cooper Tire employees made concessions collectively worth $30 million with their last three-year contract, which expired Oct. 31. At that time, the company was evaluating the manufacturing costs at each of its four U.S. plants in anticipation of closing one. The concessions by workers, along with an assortment of tax credits, grants, and loans, helped keep the Findlay plant open, Cooper Tire officials said at the time.

Union officials derided the pay of the company’s top executives. Chief Executive Officer Roy V. Armes received total compensation of $4.7 million last year, up from $4 million in 2009 and $2.6 million in 2008.

Mr. Nelson said that although the company is profitable now, officials have indicated they need the concessions to remain competitive in the global market.

The company reported a profit of $17.3 million in this year’s third quarter, down from $44.6 million in the same period last year.

The company said it is committed to reaching an agreement that “recognizes the realities of the tire industry while providing a competitive wage and benefit package for its employees.”

Contact Tyrel Linkhorn at: tlinkhorn@theblade.com or 419-724-6134.

First Published November 29, 2011, 5:30 a.m.

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Locked-out Cooper Tire and Rubber employees from left, Jason Lotz, Rory Massillo, Greg Bailey, and Terry Halliwill picket Tuesday outside the plant in Findlay.  (The Blade/Dave Zapotosky)  Buy Image
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