They turned down a company proposal that would have contracted out 150 jobs. Under the new contract the company will still contract out the jobs, but through attrition rather than layoffs.

"We took a big hit," said James Baca, 48, a process control chemist in the lab, who has worked at Goodyear for 12 years and was a member of the union's negotiating committee. We're still going to lose the jobs, but workers will not be just kicked out."

The original proposal would have laid off union workers making around $20 an hour, and immediately replaced them with contract workers making $10 to $12 an hour.

The new contract includes wage cuts of 25 percent--about $5 an hour--for what the company considers "nonessential" workers, such as cleaners and warehouse workers, and a cut of about $6.50 an hour for bailers, who package the plant's products.

Workers will now pay for a portion of their health insurance, which was previously provided by the company. Pensions were improved, with extra incentives for workers 55 and older to retire. Workers also receive a $500 signing bonus.

Chris Hegman, 46, who has worked at the plant for almost 18 years, went back for a meeting inside the plant and noted the strained and dour atmosphere. He explained that the "company forced a strike" and attempted a "death blow" to the union.

Sixty-nine workers crossed the picket line during the strike. The workforce of 600 includes maintenance workers and others, organized by several different unions under different contracts who continued working during the strike. Many replacement workers were brought in from the nonunion Goodyear chemical plant in Beaumont about 100 miles away.

Regarding the contract, Hegman simply said, "We didn't think we could get anything better." Still, he thinks those who struck are stronger now. "We stayed out almost 70 days," Hegman said. "We fought real hard."  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home