General Tire Added
6-17-67
URW To Expand Strike
AKRON, Ohio—Another rubber company was added to the three already on strike Friday when the executive board of the United Rubber Workers Union voted to send out General Tire and Rubber Co. workers.
More than 3,000 employes in two plants, Akron and Waco, Texas, will be directly affected by the walkout.
Top sources indicated that the picketing would begin sometime during the coming week, possibly Monday or Tuesday.
This is the only major change in the picture, and Uniroyal negotiations were reported as making no progress Friday.
The fact that General Tire’s URW members will be on strike is expected to put pressure on Goodyear, the only company of the so called “big five” not on strike.
General Tire executives were informed of the executive board’s decision Friday evening.
The picketing will also porbably put pressure on the union’s strike fund, already seriously depleted. What financial action the union plans to take to alleviate pressure was not learned Friday.
Although the United Auto Workers union had promised financial aid to the striking union in the form of a loan, the URW has been hesitant to accept the loan and has tried, instead, to raise money through donations from URW members still working.
These efforts have been reportedly unsuccessful, and the original strike fund of $6.5 million has been drained at a rate of $1.25 million a week.
Unfair labor practice charges filed by International Union Pres. Peter Bommarito are presently being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board.
Bommarito charged that the strike pact agreed upon by the companies involved in the negotiations was hindering progress.
The pact reportedly states that companies affected by a strike will be given financial aid by those which are not struck.
Obstacles preventing a settlement at the present time were reported Friday as being mainly economic.
The union feels that the value of the economic offers being made by the companies is not high enough yet.
Sources also indicated that the supplemental unemployment benefits are not high enough, and may well end up as the number one obstacle to a settlement.
According to those close to the negotiations, the companies have a “philosophical objection” to paying people for not working.
In addition it is possible that the auto manufacturers are putting pressure on the rubber firms not to grant the so-called guaranteed annual wage because the car companies will be facing the same request when the United Auto Workers begin talks in July.
The union’s counter proposal, submitted over a week ago, is still being discussed. Talks recessed for the weekend Friday and are scheduled to resume Monday.