Truck, Trailer OEMs Finding Tires Despite Goodyear Strike

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he eight-week strike against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. has caused some truck makers to switch brands, but has caused little dislocation and no delays for customers, according to truck and trailer manufacturers.

The United Steelworkers called the strike Oct. 5 against 16 Goodyear plants in the United States and Canada, pulling out 15,000 of its members to protest contract negotiations that have stalled mainly over health benefits for current and retired workers and job security.

Goodyear, based in Akron, Ohio, is the nation’s largest producer of tires for heavy- and medium-duty trucks, according to Modern Tire Dealer magazine.

At the beginning of the strike, Goodyear said that its North American production of both commercial vehicle and automobile tires was cut in half as a result of the job action, costing the company between $30 million and $35 million a week in lost income.

For the full story, see the Dec. 4 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.