Uniroyal Workers
Strike Naugatuck Plants
4-21-67
By TOM NUGENT
NAUGATUCK — Negotiations on a master contract between the United Rubber Workers (AFL-CIO) and Uniroyal, Inc. broke down shortly after midnight Thursday after management presented its final proposal, and pickets took up their positions.
Although the old master contract signed June 7, 1965 expired at midnight, union officials contacted the various locals across the country to withhold strike action until final notice.
The two groups reached a deadlock however when the final proposal was submitted at 12:30 a.m. and a strike was called.
Final word that the negotiations were deadlocked was followed by an orderly shutdown of machinery as the three Naugatuck locals, 308, 45 and 218, set up five picket points around the borough operation.
Each team is scheduled to picket in two-hour shifts throughout the night and starting today from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until agreement is reached.
Affected by the strike are approximately 5,000 employes in Naugatuck. Across the country another 17,000 Uniroyal workers are involved. It was not known at press time whether employes in the three other major rubber companies were also on strike.
The strike against Uniroyal was called following a month of negotiations between labor and management groups.
No information was immediately available as to what obstacles stood in the way of a settlement or as to which of the issues have already been settled.
Picket teams from Local 45, largest of the three, are assigned to the Maple St. gate, central warehouse office entrance. The other two locals are picketing one gate each at their respective plants.
Others Strike
AKRON, Ohio (UPI)—The United Rubber Workers struck the B. F. Goodrich Co. and the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. at midnight Thursday after negotiations failed to produce a contract agreement.
In negotiations with Goodyear in Cincinnati, the union agreed to continue working on a day-to-day basis. Negotiations were recessed until 10 a.m. Friday.
The strikes against the two firms idled 4,800 workers at Goodrich and 5,500 at Firestone.
The fifth firm in the rubber industry’s big five, General Tire, began negotiations Tuesday under a May 15 deadline.
Some 75,000 workers are directly affected by the negotiations. Contracts signed with the big five are generally used as a basis for negotiations with smaller firms.
Firestone employes involved total 17,500 in 11 plants located in eight states. B. F. Goodrich has 10,000 workers covered by the contract in nine plants. Goodyear employes 21,000 in 11 plants and Uniroyal has 22,000 in 19 facilities.