Cooper Tire Steelworkers in Ohio ratify pay cuts

The only union facility of Cooper Tire's in the U.S. other than the plant in Texarkana saw its local union accept a an agreement struck between labor and the local administration to take a cut in pay in hopes of saving their jobs. The local union in Texarkana has not made such a move. The Ohio agreement comes as the Findlay, Ohio-based tiremaker is planning to close one of its four U.S. plants because of slumping demand for tires and higher production costs.

Rod Nelson, president of United Steelworkers Local 207L in Findlay, Ohio said that the workers weren't happy with the renegotiated contract. “We voted to save our jobs,” he told the Associated Press. The company’s decision on which factory to close, Nelson said, will probably come down to which state offers the most money. “We’ve pitted communities against communities,” he said.