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News From USW: Grinch Pays Visit to Goodyear CEO Keegan
AKRON, Ohio-(Business Wire)-December 22, 2006 - News From USW: All the workers at Goodyear like Christmas a lot, but Bob Keegan, who runs Goodyear in Akron, does not. That's why his company forced 15,000 union workers to strike on October 5. And that's why this week Goodyear (NYSE:GT) won the 6th annual "Grinch of the Year" national election sponsored by Jobs with Justice (www.jwj.org).
This afternoon, the Grinch, himself, visited Robert Keegan at the tire company's corporate headquarters in Akron to deliver a gift and a Christmas card signed by USW International President Leo Gerard.
"There was a time, back when my heart was two sizes too small, when I might have tried to steal Christmas from the workers at Goodyear," said the Grinch. "But I had a change of heart. I gave Christmas back to Who-ville, and I'm here today to tell Robert Keegan that it's not too late to give Christmas back to the workers at Goodyear."
The Goodyear workers have gone without paychecks for 11 weeks in a fight to protect their jobs and their retiree healthcare. Thousands of families in cities and towns across the US and Canada are now facing a lean Christmas, but the workers remain united in their resolve to win a fair contract.
Negotiations are ongoing between Goodyear and the USW, after resuming in Pittsburgh on Monday, December 18.
