Unionizing effort at Goodyear dropped
By J.D. Walker
Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
ASHEBORO - The union is out at the Goodyear wire plant in Asheboro.
Howard Neidig, assistant to the director of the National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB) regional office in Winston-Salem, confirmed Wednesday that
United Steel Workers of America (USWA) union officials have dropped their
bid to unionize the local facility.
There is no information about when the union activity at the plant stopped
or when the union will be allowed to mount a new campaign in the near future.
However, according to information provided by the National Right to Work
Foundation (NRWF), "Under the terms of the settlement, USWA union officials
may not use the 'card check' unionization schemes in any future organization
attempts at the Asheboro Goodyear facility."
The decision to pull out of Asheboro is part of a larger move to settle
a federal prosecution for unfair labor practices during an organizing drive
at the plant last year.
Amy Brei, communications manager for Goodyear North American offices,
said in an email response to The Courier-Tribune inquiries, that the company
has cooperated fully with the NLRB and continues to do so.
She said charges in the complaint centered around whether a neutral arbitrator
properly accounted for employees who revoked written union authorization
cards they had previously signed.
"Goodyear did not 'ignore' the revocations; they were presented
to the neutral arbitrator for his consideration. Goodyear associates have
been - and always will be - free to choose whether or not they want union
representation."
In an official response from USWA, area representative Brad Smoyer stated
that some Asheboro employees have expressed a desire to continue the organizing
drive and the USWA will assist them in that effort.
He said officials found no evidence of coercion by the USWA or Goodyear
during the 2004 union drive.
Smoyer also said legal interference by the NRWF would have caused the
Asheboro employees to face years of litigation for their USWA representational
rights, during which they would be denied the union representation.
In the statement, he added that the USWA and some of the Asheboro employees
decided that it was in the best interests of the employees to settle the
matter and proceed to a secret ballot election as soon as possible.
The USWA is confident that such an election will once again confirm that
a majority of Asheboro employees want USWA representation, Smoyer said.
"The USWA views this latest development simply as a small bump in
the road in the Asheboro employees' ongoing efforts to gain a voice in their
workplace."
NRWF representatives were excited about the labor board decision mandating
that the union leave the Goodyear plant. The NRWF provided free legal aid
to the local opponents of the union.
"This victory is a step towards holding union officials across the
country to account for trampling workers' rights under abusive 'card check'
schemes,' " said Foundation Vice President Stefan Gleason in a press
release. "While encouraging, it's an outrage that Goodyear struck a
backroom deal with USWA officials in the first place to deny these workers
the freedom to decide their own representation through the less abusive
secret ballot election process."
Goodyear went through a unionizing campaign that began in November 2003
permitted by a neutrality agreement in a labor contract between USWA and
Goodyear. USWA was given authority to represent local workers in March 2004
following an arbitrated card count.
Efforts by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union during the same time period
to organize at The Timken Company in Randleman failed.
The UAW succeeded in unionizing the Thomas Built Bus facility in High
Point in February. That union has also been challenged by a handful of High
Point bus workers with a court date set for Jan. 18.
The Goodyear union was challenged by three workers in July 2004. A complaint
was filed by NLRB in November 2004.
At issue was the union claim that a majority of workers had signed union
authorization cards and thus voted in favor of unionization.
Opponents argued that the union was given unfair access to private information
and Goodyear held mandatory union rallies in support of the union during
work hours at the plant.
Some employees contend that union and company officials failed to honor
employee revocations of previously signed union authorization cards.
Officials at both the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce and the Randolph
County Economic Development Corp. (EDC) spoke out in support of the decision.
Both groups issued resolutions when the organizing efforts began in general
opposition to union activity.
"This is good news on two fronts," said Bonnie Renfro, EDC
president. "On the larger front, which is exactly what our resolution
addressed, Randolph County has had a long track record of good employee-employer
relations. Anything that helps that situation continue is a good thing."
Renfro said the second point is that Asheboro's wire plant is a good
operation.
"I would rejoice to see them have some resolution and be able to
move forward to do what they do best which is to make wire cord."
George Gusler, Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce president, said
the chamber is pleased to hear the news for the community's sake.
"We feel this is in the best interest of the community and the workers,"
he said. "We wish Goodyear well and the employees well there."
Copyright 2002, Stephens Media Group
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