On Nov. 29, Cooper locked out 1,051 USW members at the Findlay facility. The union contends that it has presented “a good faith offer to keep working while negotiations toward a new labor contract proceeded.”
The USW says that the centerpiece to its NLRB charges is the company’s demand that bargaining unit members ratify a contract “absent the full details of an incentive plan that could possibly result in major wage cuts.”
Cooper insisted that its incomplete proposal would have to be accepted, ratified and implemented before necessary studies would be finalized, according to union officials, who note that the workers would be voting on a proposal “without knowing if their wages were increasing or decreasing and by what amounts.”
In total, the USW alleges some 10 charges. They include refusing to bargain by conditioning continuation of talks on the union moving from its current negotiating position; falsely declaring impasse; disparaging the union in meetings with bargaining unit members; and unilaterally changing conditions of employment by canceling scheduled work and extending the Thanksgiving holiday shutdown until the lockout began on Nov. 29.
The alleged unfair practices also include “the lockout itself and its continuation in support of a bargaining position tainted by the illegal labor practices cited in the charges,” the union says.
Cooper says that despite multiple attempts to extend the contract the union leadership continues to decline the offer.
“Our first priority is to get our employees back on the job so they can continue earning a fair wage and benefits,” reports Chris Ostrander, president of the company’s North American operations.
An extension of the previous agreement would have allowed the USW members to get back to work while the two sides continue to negotiate a long-term contract. “It also would have demonstrated that the USW truly has the people’s best interest in mind rather than the intention to create simultaneous work stoppages at both of Cooper’s Findlay and Texarkana, Ark. Plants,” according to Ostrander.
“The USW has offered nothing more than a non- binding promise not to strike or a 30-day extension of the previous agreement – which only brings the two labor agreements even closer and puts our company, its customers, and all of our employees at risk,” he says.
“Without quality, cost-competitive products, there are no customers. Without customers, there are no jobs,” Ostrander continues. “It is essential that Cooper become more efficient in its existing operations to ensure the long-term viability of Cooper overall. Without being competitive and making a profit, we are unable to reinvest back in the business as we have done at the Findlay plant, where we’ve invested nearly $40 million and added nearly 150 union jobs since 2007.”
He says the company “remains committed to reaching an agreement that will help ensure the long-term competitiveness of the Findlay plant.”
The negotiation process is ongoing.
For more information, visit www.usw.org and www.coopertire.com.
