**Date:** 82nd Year, Number 173
**Source:** Unknown
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AKRON, OHIO (UPI) – Labor peace returned to the rubber capital of the world today. The four largest rubber companies based here have signed contracts with the United Rubber Workers (URW).
The largest tire producer in the world, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., agreed Monday on a new three year contract. The settlement closely parallels the three others reached in the last 10 days of the strike by General Tire & Rubber Co., Firestone Tire & Rubber, and the B. F. Goodrich Co.
Only UnRoyal Inc., a New York based firm, remained without a contract among the “big five” rubber producers. Talks continued in Cincinnati, as the strike went into its 95th day there.
Striking footwear plant employes who have been without a pay for 13 weeks are shown collecting their vacation pay at the Water St. gate this morning. The UnRoyal Company is calling employees if they want to work during the scheduled shutdown, if the strike is settled, for their checks.
Recalling Workers
The 8,400 members of the URW Local 7, at the Firestone tire plant here, ratified the new three-year contract by a 3-1 margin Monday night. The plant began calling workers back for the overnight shift, and full production was expected to start this morning.
Ratification votes on the Goodyear agreement were scheduled for Wednesday and a Thursday. The contract covers some 11,000 employes in 11 factories in 10 states.
Goodyear has tire factories in Akron, Gadsden, Ala., Los Angeles; Jackson, Mich.; Topeka, Kans.; and six other plants making other products, in Windsor, Vt.; New Bedford, Mass.; North Chicago, Ill.; Lincoln, Neb.; St. Mary’s, Ohio; and Hunstville, Ind.
Back On Job
About 90 per cent of Goodrich workers were back on the job at the factory here, and General employ-es had been back on the job for more than a week.
The four agreements all provide 43 cent increases for all production workers over the next three years, with an additional 10 cents to skilled workers. They all increase supplementary unemployment benefits from 65 per cent of normal pay to 80 per cent.
The four agreements break rubber industry precedents in wrapping up wages, working conditions, pensions and benefits in one three-year agree-ment. The Goodyear, Firestone and Goodrich settlements elimi-nate a wage increase differen-tial between tire and non-tire workers.
In the old contracts, the work-ers averaged $3.68 hourly and the non tire workers $2.68. General employ no non-tire workers.