Conti workers vote down union
MOUNT VERNON, Ill.-Employees at Continental Tire North America Inc.'s Mount Vernon plant narrowly voted against union representation by a margin of 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent, the tire maker said.
The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) had petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to represent production and maintenance employees at the plant. The NLRB scheduled a secret ballot election July 22-24.
Continental said 807 employees voted against representation vs. 747 votes for representation. About 1,650 employees were eligible to vote, and 1,554 cast their decision. The tire maker said 41 ballots were challenged, but they are not enough to change the outcome of the election, which had a 60-vote spread.
``We are pleased with the outcome of the election,'' said Nick Fletcher, vice president of human resources for Continental. ``We hope that the Steelworkers will respect our employees' choice.''
By law, the union has seven days to file objections to the conduct of the election. Continental said it complied with laws and regulations in connection to the election process.
ATD to handle Conti, General
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-American Tire Distributors (ATD) Inc. will begin selling Continental and General tires through its national network of distribution centers beginning in August.
``Based on our strong OE position, our ATD partnership provides an excellent opportunity to expand our replacement tire business in the U.S.,'' said Jim Seidel, director of passenger and light truck dealer sales for Continental Tire North America Inc.
For its part, ATD said a high percentage of customers request their vehicle's original equipment tires. ``Continental has established a very strong OE presence for both the Continental and General brands,'' said Phil Marrett, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Charlotte-based ATD. ``This translates to consumers requesting the brands at the dealerships we service.
``By offering the Continental and General brands, ATD will enhance our service level to our dealer customers.''